Ain't Nobody Who Can Sing Like Me
by rollwithbutter
Summary: Kili's not all that much to look at, by dwarf standards. The tale of how he discovers his passion for music and of his very first 'conquest' (wink, wink). Plenty of humorous brotherly affection, mischief, & an adorably infatuated Kili.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Why do these stories keep popping into my head because of songs? Well, they just do, I suppose. This one latched on to me while listening to 'Way Down Yonder in the Minor Key', a lovely little song by Billy Bragg and Woody Guthrie. Give it a listen, and once I get into some later chapters you'll see what I mean. **

**This will be a sweet and humorous little multi-chapter insight, I hope. Please enjoy & please review!**

* * *

"Just let me put a braid in-"

"I don't want any braids!"

"Alright, how about just a couple of divided sections with a band or two?"

"Leave it, Fili! I'm not you!"

"Ok, ok," Fili backed away, hands out in a gesture of truce, and went back to the thick, furry hides that he had been working before his brother's unwarranted interruption.

Kili had come into his room only moments before, looking broody and carrying two steaming mugs of cider. Handing one off to his brother, he had dropped uninvited into a cushioned chair and sat moodily staring at a vacant spot on the wall. He had just come in from the practice fields, stinking, sweaty, and covered in mud, and Fili had cringed when he saw the tangled mat of his younger sibling's hair. It was his well-intentioned offer to tame the unruly nest with a few fashionable braids that had started the argument.

Fili studied his uncharacteristically downtrodden brother as he slumped in his chair. It was unlike him to be quite so churlish.

Kili looked away from his spot on the wall. "What would be the point, anyway?" he mumbled, swinging a booted foot idly and returning to their conversation. "It's not like you could add one to match in my beard." He rubbed the meager stubble on his chin with a thoughtful, dejected air.

"Oh, so _that's_ what this is all about." Fili put down his furs and turned his full attention to Kili's downcast face. "Don't think so much on it, Kili, it'll come in when it's ready. You know, Thorin hasn't all that much beard to speak of himself."

"Don't let _him_ hear you say that!" Kili smiled in spite of himself.

"Of course not! I intend to live to a ripe old age."

The brief smile slid from Kili's face. "That's not it, anyway."

"Well, what is it then? Don't make me drag it out of you."

Kili stared down at his hands for a long moment before answering. "She doesn't look at me," he said finally.

Fili was at a loss. "Who doesn't?"

"Brede. I must pass her at least twice a day, and she never even looks up. She doesn't even know that I'm alive." Kili frowned into his mug of cider.

Oh. Brede, the pretty little potter's daughter. So Kili had taken a shine to her.

Fili turned back to the task spread out on the table before him and carried on the rest of their conversation over his shoulder. "Then forget about her. Eylia looks at you plenty," he pointed out slyly.

"Eylia! She scares the living daylights out of me. I don't think there's a dwarf here who could stand up to that one."

"Quite literally," Fili snorted. "She's nearly as tall as Gandalf the Grey."

"And twice as mouthy. She could cow Thorin himself."

"Yes, you're right, you're no match for her." Fili sniggered.

"Shut it, you." Kili drained the last of his cider and stood, stretching loudly. "I'm going out to curry Brassy. D'you want me to do Pluck as well?"

"He could use it before we head out tomorrow. I'm just going to finish up on these furs. I think they'll do nicely for the trim on a coat." He turned and held up the furry hides for Kili's inspection.

"Wolf?" Kili asked, and Fili nodded proudly. "Aye, you'll be positively regal. You'd best watch yourself, you're becoming quite the dandy." Kili flicked one of Fili's golden braids and swiftly ducked out the door, grinning broadly as a greasy, wadded up rag whizzed by him, dangerously close to his own unadorned head.

_Brede_, thought Fili, shaking his head after Kili had gone. Leave it to his brother to shoot for the stars. Brede was pretty and sprightly, and there wasn't a dwarf under the mountains who wasn't determined to earn her attentions.

He loved his brother more than anything, but if he were forced to be honest, Fili would have to admit that for a dwarf, Kili was a bit homely. Most dwarves of his year were already sporting thick, full beards, albeit on the short side, while Kili had only the lightest shadow of fine hair beginning to sprout along his jaw. Where the others were short and stout and stockily built, Kili was relatively tall and lean. He didn't even have the proper bearing of a dwarf; Instead of a suitably lumbering stroll, Kili darted about in quick, flashing leaps and bounds throughout the halls of Ered Luin.

His poor brother didn't stand a chance with the lovely Brede.

* * *

Laughter echoed through the great hall. An animated group made up of mostly young dwarf men and a few young dwarf ladies had gathered there, relieved to enjoy a brief moment of freedom sandwiched between the drudgery of the morning and the upcoming chores of midday.

Kili hovered near the edge of this group staring fixedly at Brede, who chatted and laughed with her companions, completely oblivious to his presence. Her dark eyes ran over him once and his heart skipped a beat before they continued past and rose over his shoulder. She waved, and her face lit up with a smile. Scowling, Kili turned to see who or what had garnered such a favorable reaction from her.

With a voice already deep and booming, Gimli greeted his older cousin briefly before joining Brede and her friends at the center of their little circle. Kili hesitated uncertainly for a moment, but when no one else looked his way, he turned and strode off for the stables.

Brassy was waiting and nickered in welcome as Kili slid back the bolt to his stall. He snorted affectionately and lipped at the back of Kili's neck with his soft, whiskery mouth as he went to the pony's side to apply the curry brush.

"Well at least _someone_ is glad to see me," he laughed, moving the brush in even circles and shooing the pony from his attempt at eating his hair. Brassy tossed his head appreciatively. "Even if that someone has four legs and a tail."

Kili finished up with Brassy and moved on to Pluck, who stood placidly as he brushed. Brassy snorted and stamped in his stall, jealous of Kili's attention, but he quieted down once he was appeased by an offering of a pail of oats. "It's no wonder you're such a terror, I shouldn't reward you for being such a bossy little git." Kili said, then set out a bucket for Pluck to enjoy as well.

"We'll give you boys a good run tomorrow. It's off to Harlond for a bit of trading, and if you don't act like a total prat on the way I'll see if I can't find you a treat while we're there." This last comment was directed primarily at Brassy, who's eyes flicked up once at the mention of a treat before choosing to ignore Kili completely in favor of his bucket of oats. Sensing his dismissal, Kili left the ponies for the evening and headed for the archery range, determined to get in a few last shots before supper.

As he walked, he listened to the pleasant jingle of heavy coins in his purse and allowed himself to drift off into dreamy conjecture of the treasures that he might find in the Harlond markets. Somehow Brede's fair, laughing face kept finding its way into his thoughts, and by the time he joined Fili, Thorin and Dis in the hall for their meal he was downcast and gloomy once more.

Fili gave his brother one look over the dinner table and inwardly groaned. Kili was mooning morosely over his peas and Thorin was staring at him oddly._ Aule preserve us from the hormones of dwarflings,_ he sighed as he jabbed his fork at a seasoned potato. He hoped that this sudden infatuation of Kili's wouldn't dampen their enjoyment of the upcoming trip.

_If he gets too soppy once we get to Harlond,_ Fili thought, helping himself to a huge joint of meat,_ at least we'll be able to leave him there._

* * *

**PS: I needed another story going like I need a hole in the head, but they're always pushing to get out while they're fresh. Anyone reading "Game", don't worry, that one is still right there on the surface! This one was just sort of blocking its way out for the moment.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Something is massively off with my formatting today for some reason, so if the type seems small or funny to you, that's why. Anyway, nice, reasonably long chapter for you, because you deserve it!**

* * *

Fili needn't have worried. It wasn't Kili's way to harbor resentment or bad feelings of any sort, and once they were on the road and traveling toward the enthralling markets and great shipping wharfs of Harlond, located on the Southern shore of the Gulf of Lune, he perked up immensely.

They set out early, and at first rode mostly in silence. The small throng of dwarves, composed of Fili, Kili, Bofur, Bombur, and Dwalin, and led by Thorin Oakenshield himself, yawned and slumped lazily in their saddles until the cool morning sun broke gladly over the eastern ridge of the Blue Mountains.

The brothers looked out at the vast world around them with bright, hungry eyes, vehemently determined to take in every scrap of detail that presented itself to them during their journey. This earnest behavior was at first very amusing to their fellows, but after the lads' hundredth consecutive exclamation over some sweeping view or monotonous expanse of trees, it had quickly become less endearing.

"Fili! Kili! You'd think the pair of you had never been outside of the nursery before, let alone seen a rock or the sky. I think that a return to silence might be appreciated by us all." said their exasperated uncle in a carrying voice from the front of the line. Kili instantly dropped his eyes to the pommel of his saddle, shamefaced and silent. Fili took a moment to shoot his brother a sympathetic glance before he too followed suit and developed a sudden interest in the reins that he was holding.

After that, a distinctly relieved, yet uncomfortable silence hung over the group for the remainder of the journey. Thorin sensed the change in his company and somewhat regretted his harsh words. Ordinarily, he might have humored his lads with a bit more patience, but he had an ulterior motive for including them on this trip, and he was anxious that they comport themselves with some degree of dignity and maturity.

They pressed on hard over the easy flats, stopping only once for a light meal of oat bread and cheese before continuing. As their fellows gathered together and seated themselves wearily on the hard ground in a circle, Fili caught sight of his brother wavering irresolutely behind Bombur's back, apparently warring with the impulse to slip a small, green snake that he had found down the gap of the portly dwarf's voluminous trousers. Fili breathed a sigh of relief when common sense won out and Kili released the squirming reptile back onto the ground. He caught Kili's eye and gave him a small nod of approval before returning to his goat-cheese smeared oatcake.

"Budge up," Kili commanded, coming to join his brother on the ground. He opened his mouth to say something else, but before his backside had even touched the ground and he could get a word out the camp erupted into an uproar.

"What in Aule's name-?" Fili began, then blanched as one of Dwalin's twin battle axes came whistling down in the approximate vicinity of the recently reprieved garter snake.

"Oh," said Kili in a small voice, then promptly lost his head, trying in vain to hide the tears of laughter that streamed down his face behind his slice of oatcake.

Thorin shot the boys a suspicious glare, but couldn't think of any way to connect them to the situation as they were both sitting on the far opposite side of the circle. His baleful gaze lingered longer on Kili than was absolutely necessary.

"Mount up!" Thorin called out, still casting withering looks in the direction of his nephews despite the lack of any concrete evidence proclaiming their guilt.

Some things you just didn't have to see to believe.

* * *

The dwarves rode up to the walls of Harlond as twilight fell, and Thorin was pleased to have made such good time on their journey. He would have the opportunity to take Dwalin into the town and scout out the market in preparation for tomorrow while the others made camp. Bands of various other species were already ensconced outside the earthen walls, intent on completing their dealings as early as possible the next morning. Dwarves, hobbits, and even a haughty group of elves had gathered on the outskirts of the makeshift encampment, and Thorin gave the latter a meaningful look as he passed through the gates with Dwalin following close behind.

Fili and Kili mimicked the preparations of the other more seasoned travelers, spreading out their bedrolls and tending to their tired horses before gathering around a merrily snapping fire to warm their hands.

"What are we trading, Bofur?" Kili asked as he was offered a hunk of heavily salted venison jerky. His eyes went round and he grinned as the congenial toymaker passed him a half-filled cup of ale accompanied by a conspiratorial wink.

"Weapons, mostly. And a few trinkets and baubles made by Hamish, the jeweler. Bombur is after some spices, they're out of salt at the Hall, and I need some ivory and ebony wood."

"And Thorin?" Fili asked with interest. His uncle had never disclosed his reason for the journey or for taking his nephews along with him.

"Don't rightly know. I expect he just wanted to bring you boys out for a bigger taste of the world." Bofur reflected sagely as he seated himself beside the fire and beckoned for Bombur to leave off eyeing the elves long enough to join them in their conversation.

Kili thought of the little green snake and frowned. "Like some sort of a test, you mean?"

Bombur shuffled over and sat down heavily beside Fili. "Could be, although we never thought of it that way. Thorin plays his cards close. There's just no tellin' with him sometimes."

They talked long into the night, even after Thorin and Dwalin returned and bedded down for the count. Bofur and Bombur were aglow, recounting hilarious tales of misadventures and slick trades that they had made on some of their previous ventures into Harlond. Finally the talk wound down as the elders noticed Fili pointedly eyeing the edge of his bedroll, which was just barely visible as it poked out from beneath Bombur's generous bottom. They said their good nights and excused themselves, making off on surprisingly silent feet for their own bedrolls on the other side of the dying fire.

"What do you hope to find tomorrow, Kili?" asked his brother softly as he tucked his folded coat under his head for a pillow.

Kili's thoughts leapt immediately to Brede. "Dunno." he said. "Something different, I suppose."

"Well," Fili grinned through a stifled yawn, "There should be plenty of that around."

* * *

Morning dawned with a clamor of moving feet and much rustling and flapping. Kili opened his eyes reluctantly, then sprung up from his blankets as he realized where he was and what today was to bring.

"Fili!" he cried, shaking his still sleeping brother none too gently. Fili groaned, swatting at the unwanted hands that shook him with the accuracy of many years of practice.

"Gerroff me, you dolt," he mumbled into his balled up coat.

"Fili, get up!" Kili hissed. "Thorin's already gone, and the others are about to set out as well. Get up, I don't want to miss this!"

"Fine, fine, I'm up." Kili ripped away Fili's sleeping roll and dashed off to tuck it away into one of the many bags heaped upon the ponies' backs. When he returned, Fili was finally up and shrugging himself into his coat. "Dwalin is staying with the ponies." Kili explained. "He said he saw all that he ever wanted to see last night, except we're to grab a jar of foot salve for him if we see one."

Fili made a show of wrinkling up his nose. "I think I'd rather stay with the ponies," he quipped.

Kili grabbed his arm and began tugging him through the crowds that thronged the gates. Bofur and Bomber were already there, and when the great doors opened, the brothers tucked themselves behind Bombur's great bulk and followed in his wake as he parted the pressing sea of bodies that swarmed around them.

The streets of Harlond were a mixture of packed dirt lanes and a few wider roads that were paved with actual stones. The foursome followed the largest of the paved streets towards the city's center and the brothers gasped as it widened out into a brilliant kaleidascope of tents, booths, and shops. Every nook and cranny between the stalls was crammed with a horde of clamorous traders and buyers. Boorishly bellowing hawkers stood at every corner, vying jealously for the attention of each coin-carrying man, dwarf or elf that passed their way.

Bofur and Bombur wandered off in search of their own pressing needs and the boys continued ahead, weaving aimlessly through the thoroughfare and examining every shining parcel that greeted their eyes. Fili paused in front of a booth that sold various hair ornaments and pins and began to eagerly count his money. Bored with what was, in his eyes, nothing more than empty finery, Kili drifted on ahead and found himself keenly interested in a broad display of archery supplies and equipment. He hefted a few bows and tested a few shafts before finally purchasing a new bowstring and a fistful of points. The rough looking man who took his money grinned toothlessly in thanks.

Having already spent half of what he had brought, Kili waited idly for his brother to catch up with him. Fili soon arrived with twin flashes of silver dangling from the braids of his beard where none had been before. Kili rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "dandy" to Fili's ears.

Nettled by Kili's implied insult, Fili retorted. "You should have looked there, too. Perhaps there was something there that might have finally caught Brede's interest." he said stingingly. He was instantly contrite, however, when he saw the wounded look that flashed across his brother's face before it was covered by a scowl. Fili sighed and looked away, mentally preparing an apology that he never got the chance to deliver, for when he looked back his brother had gone.

"Kili?" he called, but there was no answer from the crowd. "Oh, Thorin will have kittens if I've lost the little bugger," he muttered, and tore down the street, bumping elbows and knocking gawkers roughly aside without so much as a glance in their direction.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I should mention that all of this is taking place shortly before the journey/quest, so Kili and Fili would be just a bit younger than they appear in the movie. I have Fili often referring to his brother in terms of exaggerated youth, but it's just an older brother ribbing a younger sibling. I just wanted to make that clear so that no one gets the wrong idea later.**

* * *

Kili lounged behind the cover of a long red curtain gathered with a velvet ribbon around the corner post of one of the less ephemeral looking shops. Once Fili had trotted past (looking moderately alarmed, Kili noted smugly) he emerged from his hiding place and began to examine with mild curiosity the little stall where he had taken refuge.

This shop had an air of permanence about it that many of the others did not. There was a proper roof overhead instead of a simple canvas panel to keep the sun off and the corner posts were all anchored firmly in the ground. One glance at the walls therein showed him why; the merchandise sold here would not stand up to sun or rain or any inclement weather.

Kili stepped farther into the shop and started almost out of his skin when a disembodied voice called out from behind a stack of wooden crates and boxes to his left.

"You can try one, if you like."

"I- I'm sorry, what?" Kili stammered, feeling a bit wrong-footed since he had no intentions of buying anything there.

The owner of the voice emerged from behind the crates, carrying a rag and a jar of something thick and gelatinous. "I said you can try one. Probably that one hanging over there on the right would be best." He gestured with a thin, withered and spotted arm. The man was stooped with age and his face and arms were peppered all over with brownish patches and liver spots. He smiled at Kili through a face full of drooping wrinkles and again indicated a small wooden instrument mounted on the wall behind him. A fiddle, Kili realized. A well made one, and probably quite expensive.

Kili began to back slowly out of the store. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come this way. I'll get out of your hair now." he said, and he turned to leave.

"Wait!" the old man called out. "Lend a hand before you go? I can't move the way I used to. Get down those fiddles along the top row for an old feller, there's a good lad now. Have to polish the lot of them." He waved the rag that he was holding and a sweet, pungent smell met Kili's nose.

He obligingly did as the man had asked and took down the four fiddles from the upper row, standing on tiptoe slightly since they were set at a height convenient to men and not dwarves. Still, besides the giantess Eylia, he was probably the only dwarf under the mountain that could have reached them at all.

"My thanks lad." The old man eased himself onto a stool and set about with his polish. After a while he seemed to forget that Kili was even there.

Feeling slightly bolder now that he was not being watched, Kili gently ran his hands over the beautiful instrument that the man had tried to show him earlier. He fingered the taught catgut strings and winced as his calloused finger caught on one and he inadvertently produced a sharp, plucked note. He aimed a furtive glance over his shoulder to see if the proprietor had minded his clumsy handling, but the elderly fellow continued to blithely rub his stained cloth in small, sure circles over the gleaming body of a violin. It seemed like an opportune time to try to edge his way out of the store.

Slinking toward the exit, Kili was once again halted by the old man's voice.

"You could try the bow," he suggested. His voice was kind.

Kili's interest was piqued. "There's a bow?"

"Haven't you ever seen one of these up close before, boy?"

"Not accompanied by an instrumental anatomy lesson I haven't. And you can stop calling me boy, I'm 77 years old."

The old man chuckled. "Aye, I suppose you're right. You dwarves certainly have the advantage over men there. What may I have the pleasure of calling you, then?"

"Kili," Kili answered confidently, extending his hand for the man to shake with a partial formal bow. It was accepted with an amused smile.

"Orris Brown. I used to make these fiddles once upon a time. Now I just mind the booth for my son. He does all the real work these days."

"Did you make any of these?" Kili was once again staring at the rosewood fiddle that he had set reverently back on the worktable.

Orris nodded at the sweetly scented instrument. "That one 'us my last."

"It's beautiful." Kili complimented politely. His words were sincere. He couldn't keep his eyes from roving over the gracefully swirling scroll and his fingers kept drifting back to fiddle with the pegs.

Orris recognized the look on the young dwarf's face and zeroed in. "Do you play, master dwarf?"

"No." Kili removed his recalcitrant hand from the peg box once more. "That is, I like music, but I've never tried to play anything before."

"A love of music is the only start that you need! You're already halfway there." Kili couldn't contain his enthusiastic smile.

For the next hour Orris Brown showed him the basics of tuning the four pegs and various finger positions. When he picked up the bow and demonstrated the way to pull it across the strings Kili payed rapt attention.

"This here's the bow. You draw it across like so," Orris illustrated, and expertly coaxed a single high, singing note from the instrument. Kili's eyes lit up. "There you have it! The beginnings of music!" He he played a brief, bouncy lick and waved the bow with a dramatic flourish at its end. Kili's hands shot out for the instrument as soon as he had finished.

At first, Kili was discouraged by the discordant, squawking sounds that he produced as he dragged the bow awkwardly back and forth, but as the morning wore on he improved, and before the sun had reached midway in the sky, he finally managed one perfectly clear, ringing note. Orris smiled in triumph and Kili grinned foolishly. He was completely smitten.

"Kili!" interrupted an irate voice from the entrance. "Have you been here this entire time? I've been looking for you everywhere! I was just about to go find Thorin and have him drag you out-" Scowling, but with a distinctly relieved cast to his face, Fili broke off his angry tirade as he saw that there was a witness present.

While he had been distracted by Orris and his wondrous fiddle, Kili hadn't thought about his earlier words with his brother. Now the hurt came back and he stood and faced off with Fili. "I didn't need you to come find me. I can find my own way back when I'm ready. I'm not completely incompetent, no matter what you might think."

"Kili, I never said that you were-"

"Save it," Kili snapped, leaning down to pick up his sack of earlier purchases from beneath the worktable. "Orris, thank you for taking the time to show me your marvelous work. I- I really enjoyed it."

Orris smiled gently and inclined his head in acknowledgment. "My pleasure, lad. You've got a real knack. Best of luck to you and safe journey."

Kili brushed brusquely past his brother, who stood awkwardly half in-and-out of the doorway. He spared one last look for the rosewood fiddle before darting back into the street and losing himself to the crowd once more.

"That boy moves like a wind-storm," Orris said by way of polite conversation, attempting to alleviate Fili's obvious discomfort.

"Mm. What was he doing in here?" Fili looked around with a quizzical frown. His brother had never shown any interest in music outside of dancing, at which he excelled, mostly due to his ability to cavort about at a mad levels of intensity for extended periods of time.

Orris chuckled. "Hiding, at first. Had a row with someone, I believe." Fili avoided his kindly questing gaze and that was confirmation enough. This blonde dwarf was obviously the cause of Kili's distress. Despite their difference in coloring, Orris thought that he could make out a resemblance, if only in their fiery attitudes. "Ah. Brothers I take it?"

Fili nodded.

"You'll make it up in the end, you'll see."

Fili wandered over to the fiddle that Kili had been holding when he entered the booth. "Was he playing this?"

"After a fashion. He could be playing it in no time at all, if he kept it up. A natural talent if I ever saw one." Fili pondered this and turned the smooth surface around in his hands. There was a surprising warmth to the softly scented rosewood body, and although it was solid and well-made, it was neither fussy nor ornate. It ran exactly to his brother's simple tastes, and Fili could see why he must have been drawn to it.

"How much?" he asked. Orris named his price and Fili's face lost all color. "Oh," he said quietly. "I haven't got that much left. I bought something earlier."

"S'alright, lad. The boy had fun playing it just the same. Good day to you." Orris turned back to his polishing, apparently dismissing Fili as a lost cause.

"Wait! Will you take these? With what I have left in my purse, I mean. I'll give all of it to you." Orris turned to see two hefty silver hair-clips being held out to him before an earnest, pleading face.

"Well... I don't usually accept trades," Orris said slowly, taking the clips and turning them over in his age spotted hand. He took another look at Fili's desperate face and sighed. "Alright laddie, but I'll consider this my good deed for the day. Besides, I've taken a shine to young Kili."

Fili broke into an ecstatic grin and wrung the old gentleman's hand fervently. Orris grimaced slightly at the strength of Fili's grip. "Thank you! You've just saved us from becoming a broken family, you know!" Fili snatched up the fiddle as though afraid that Orris would change his mind and darted for the door, almost as nimble in his excitement as his brother.

"Wait!" Orris called, laughing. "Take the bow, for Eru's sake!" He held the stick up for Fili, who grinned and made a lunge for it.

"My thanks!" Fili whirled about without another word and set off down the street at a fast clip, intent on finding his brother and the dwarf camp just outside the walls.

As Fili left with his treasure, the old man straightened up and ten years melted away in the blink of an eye. There was no hunched stoop to his walk now, and he watched the young dwarf go with a sly twinkle. He thought of how easily he had tricked the dark one into finally picking up the rosewood fiddle and chuckled at his ruse. The arrival of the brother had almost ruined it, but then it had turned out that the lads had had a row!

And a guilty conscience always made for an easy sale.

Orris stretched up effortlessly to return the violin that he had been polishing to its designated spot high on the shop wall. Hefting Fili's weighty silver clips in the palm of his hand, he closed up shop and struck out for his favorite haunt, the Cagey Beaver Tavern. There would be a good end to this day after all, he thought, and laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

Kili was already sitting astride Brassy and glowering resentfully when Fili made his way back to camp, cradling what looked like his wadded up coat under one arm. Most of the dwarves' new acquisitions and belongings had already been packed away, and Thorin was obviously eager to depart. With a slight pang, Fili saw that Kili had saddled and prepared Pluck for him, even though he was obviously still very angry.

Fili patted Pluck absently before going to stand contritely at Kili's knee.

"M'sorry," he mumbled, thrusting his balled coat up into Kili's lap. "I shouldn't have mentioned that about Brede."

Kili looked down at the crumpled wad in his lap with confusion. "Thanks, but I already have a coat. And it's alright, it was me who started it, anyway. I shouldn't have called you a dandy, even if you are one." He smirked in jest and shoved the bundle at Fili, who rolled his eyes and pushed it back.

"You have to unwrap it, Kili. Honestly, why would I be giving you my coat?"

"Dunno, brotherly love?" Holding the coat carefully now, Kili could feel that there was something long and solid tucked in between the leather folds. He thought the shape seemed familiar and hurriedly tugged at the edges until he found his way in. He sucked in a sharp breath as he pulled the coat open.

"Fili..." he whispered, and Fili was a little embarrassed to see a tear appear in his brother's eye. Kili wiped it away quickly and smiled, although he seemed a bit dazed.

"It's nothing," Fili said, awkwardly kicking at the ground. "Just thought you might like it."

Brassy sidestepped and snorted in annoyance as Kili leapt unexpectedly from his saddle and threw an arm around Fili's shoulders, clutching his gift of the rosewood fiddle in his other hand. As he pulled his brother into a one-armed hug, he noticed that the silver clips that Fili had been wearing earlier that morning were missing. "Thanks. You didn't have to, I wasn't as mad as all _that_."

"Really, it was nothing! The way you're acting, you'd think I never do anything nice for you at all." Fili grinned and playfully pushed Kili away.

Kili pulled a face of mock hurt. "But you're sure I can't have the coat? Because I've changed my mind, I think it would look much better on me."

Fili surprised him yet again. "Alright. You can keep it."

"I was only joking!" protested Kili, although Fili noticed that he was rather fondly running his free hand over the embossed leather sleeves. "I couldn't take your coat."

"No, really, it suits you. Mind, it would have to be taken in before you could wear it. I'll have a new one made soon, with that wolf hide that I was working earlier for the trim. You can't keep going around in _that_ tatty old thing," he said, and waved his hand in disgust at Kili's plain and shapeless old coat.

Kili frowned down at his coat as if he were seeing it for the first time. "What's wrong with it?"

"Just trust me on this one, Kili. I'm the dandy, remember?"

Kili shrugged off the offending garment and flung Fili's coat over his shoulders. Fili leaned back and studied the effect with a practiced, critical eye.

"It doesn't fit as poorly as I thought it would. You've filled out some in the shoulders."

Thorin glanced at his young nephew as he passed and grunted, a sound that might have indicated anything from approval to the need to simply clear his throat. Kili decided to take it as the former and gave his uncle a cheeky, lopsided grin.

"Not bad." Thorin said on his way back, carrying a load of bagged blocks of sea salt. "Dis will need to take it in at the waist when we return, but it does suit you well enough." He noticed the violin in Kili's hand. "What's this?"

"Fili bought it for me. I found it in the market earlier and the man at the booth let me play it." Thorin grunted again as he continued packing the remainder of the salt. This time there was no translating his meaning.

Kili passed Fili back his coat to keep until he could have his new one finished. He carefully wrapped and packed his new fiddle, then lashed it to the top of a carrying pack on Brassy's side. The others mounted up and they began their trek back home. Everyone was pleased with what they had managed to find in the market square, excepting Dwalin, whose foot salve had been forgotten in the wake of the brother's earlier drama. He brought up the rear with a resentful pout, and Fili and Kili wisely determined to stay well away from him for the duration of the trip.

* * *

The return trip remained relatively uneventful, save for an unforeseen chain of events that resulted in one of Dwalin's boots having to be dug out of a badger hole before they could continue.

Toward the end of the afternoon, Thorin called out for the band to stop, and the company gladly dismounted and settled about in groupings of companionable chatter to wolf down the last of the sky-high, buttered crumpets that Bofur had purchased for them from the Harlond bakery.

Kili promptly untied his new fiddle and sat down next to his brother. Happily plucking and sawing away, he remained blissfully unaware that Fili had just snaked the crumpet from his mess kit and was now stuffing it into his mouth behind his back. Bombur gladly stretched out his legs on the ground behind the brothers and beside Dwalin, who removed his boots and grimaced as he wiggled his musty toes.

"Don't think it was all that much to ask for the lads to pick up that jar of salve. M'feet've been killin' me the whole way down and back." Dwalin complained loudly, perfectly aware that Kili and Fili were within earshot.

Bombur grunted, unwilling to get himself involved. Dwalin's ability to hold a grudge over trifling matters was legendary. The brothers glanced at each other a bit guiltily but said nothing, slightly nettled by the way Dwalin had been carrying on about it for the past four hours. Kili turned to his mess kit to dig out his crumpet.

"Where the...? I don't believe it, Dwalin's nicked it!" he hissed to Fili in a scandalized whisper.

Fili adopted an angelic expression. "Damn him! We only forgot a jar of foot grease, that's taking things too far!"

Kili nodded, his eyes glazing over with a far-away look that Fili recognized as his brother in the planning stages of some great mischief. Deciding that he wanted to see where this was headed, he choked back a laugh that was threatening to give him away.

Kili took off his coat, and holding it by the shoulders, flung his arms out high in an exaggerated stretch. He yawned loudly for dramatic effect. "Is that a rabbit?" He nudged his brother with a toe and Fili immediately took up the hint and made a show of looking about for the fictitious rabbit.

"Yes, I'm sure I saw one there. Absolutely huge. Was it one of those Rhosgobel's d'you think?"

Dwalin and Bombur craned their necks in vain for a sight of the mythical beast.

"Ah, well, it must've gone." Kili was now holding his coat tucked up tightly in his lap. The bundled seemed much larger than it should have been for what was only a wadded up coat. He stood and made his way over to the edge of a small wood and called over his shoulder, "I'll just be a moment. Need to... You know." then he darted into the trees.

Fili packed up Kili's violin and returned it to Brassy's packs. Kili joined him shortly after, once again wearing his coat. "What did you do?" Fili asked.

Just at that moment, Dwalin stalked by, still barefoot and wearing an annoyed expression. Fili watched with dawning comprehension as Bombur waddled past, his round head swiveling madly from side to side as he searched the ground. Soon they were joined by Bofur, and Thorin was once again shooting suspicious looks in his nephew's direction.

"Kili? Fili? Is there something that you'd like to tell us?"

Kili threw up his chin defiantly. "Now that you mention it, yes. Dwalin nicked my crumpet."

"What?" the huge dwarf roared, rounding on Kili, who wisely retreated. "I did no such thing! What've you done with my boots?"

Kili's eyes narrowed. "You didn't take my crumpet?"

Fili trailed over to Pluck and affected a mask of extreme boredom. "_Fili..._" Kili hissed under his breath, cottoning on.

By this time, steam was practically pouring from Dwalin's ears. "Let's have them, y'little twerp!"

"Now, now, I know just where they are..." Kili said, shooting a death stare at Fili, who was hiding behind Pluck's neck and sniggering into his hand. Kili bolted into the woods where he had gone to stash the boots earlier hidden beneath his coat. When he returned, he was holding only one boot and looking distinctly nervous. His eyes were wide and Fili's laughter died abruptly.

No one spoke. Kili held out the single boot to Dwalin.

"There, ah, seems to be a problem." he said, his face frozen like a deer in a hunter's sights. Dwalin leaned down, uncomfortably close. "Oh?" he growled. "And how do you plan to remedy the situation?" He cracked his bulbous knuckles suggestively.

Kili swiftly sidestepped in Fili's direction and shot Dwalin a bogus smile. "I'll just need to borrow my brother for a moment." He grabbed Fili's arm to prevent his escape. "We'll be right back." With the grin still plastered to his face, Kili backed slowly into the woods, tugging Fili with him, as though he were afraid that Dwalin might charge should he turn his back.

Once within the cover of the woods, Kili assaulted his brother with a flurry of outraged smacks and jabs. "What. Were. You. _Thinking_? Dwalin's going to kill me, then Thorin's going to kill me _again_! You made me do this!" he hissed between clenched teeth.

"Calm down! You did this yourself, I only provided the incentive. What did you do with the boots? Where's the other one?"

"You're not going to get off that easily! You provided the distraction, don't forget. Dwalin's not likely to have missed that!" Fili's smug smile fell from his face and he began rapidly searching the bushes. Kili groaned. "I left them both right here, I swear! But when I came back, there was only one! Ugh, I'm far too young to die now, there's too many things that I planned on doing with my life..."

Fili stopped and crouched closer to the ground, pushing aside the branches of a small yellow-flowered gorse bush. "Kili, quit griping and look here. These are badger tracks."

Kili peered over Fili's shoulder. "But it's like they were covered by something-" He smacked his head. "Fili, it's dragging the damned boot!"

By the time the brothers had tracked the pilfering badger, dug out its burrow using only their hands and swords, killed it, skinned it, and returned carrying its bushy pelt and Dwalin's muddy, wayward boot, the sun was low in the sky and Thorin was fuming. Mumbling a litany of apologies, Kili contritely returned the boot to Dwalin, who glowered and said nothing as he shoved it irritably onto his sore, and now freezing, foot.

Thorin couldn't even find the words necessary to command the group to mount up, and wouldn't look at Fili or Kili at all as they plodded across the open plains for home.

As they neared Thorin's Halls, Kili became noticeably more downcast and introspective. Bofur sent a questioning glance Fili's way.

"Is he worried about Dwalin?" Bofur asked. "He'll get over it eventually, the big lug's just havin' a sulk."

"Girl," Fili mouthed silently behind his brother's back, and shook his head. Subtly reining Pluck in, he dropped back in line until they were even with Bofur.

"What's this about a girl now?" Bofur asked quietly, once Fili was close enough that he could be heard at a whisper.

"Brede," Fili explained, in an equally cautious tone. "Kili's carrying a massive torch for her."

"You don't say! Well good for him. She's a nice enough lass, if not a bit spirited. A'course, that would make her right perfect for our Kili."

"Mm." Fili was unwilling to bring up the fact that Brede hardly new that his brother existed, let alone returned his feelings. Bofur read easily between the lines of his noncommittal response, however.

"Doesn't return the favor, eh?" He shook his head sadly at the unfairness of young love, the floppy ends of his comical hat swaying to echo the sentiment.

"I feel for him, but if he wants Brede's attention, he's going to have to do something to earn it.

"The lad's a right crack shot with with a bow," Bofur supplied helpfully.

"I don't think our Miss Brede is all that concerned with weaponry." said Fili with a smile.

"More's the pity. That lass is a spitfire. She'd have Smaug himself runnin' out the front gates of Erebor if we sent _that_ one in armed."

Fili laughed. "I think Kili knows it! No, he's going to have to think of something far better than excelling in archery." Fili shrugged and kicked Pluck into a brief trot to regain their place in line.

Finally, well after dark, the dwarves drew their tired mounts up to the gates of the Great Hall. Once all was said and done, the return trip had taken several hours longer than should have been necessary. Thorin and Dwalin were scowling, Bombur was avoiding any and all eye contact, Bofur was forlorn and full of pitying looks, and Fili and Kili, the bandits responsible for everyone's distress, were still in relative disgrace.

* * *

**AN: Mostly fun and fluff on that second half. For anyone worried about the old man who sold Fili the fiddle, don't worry, he was just a sneaky red herring who wanted to make a quick sale off of a couple of innocents so that he could run out for a pint or two. Some creative theories on that one, though! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

After the return from Harlond, things at the Hall continued unchanged for all but one young dwarf.

Kili had become absolutely obsessed with his new fiddle. So much so that Fili was secretly worried that as the one who had given him the damned thing, he would be blamed for his brother's recent absences on the practice fields and the way that he pelted immediately up the stairs to his room after bolting his supper.

As the weeks went by, the gut-wrenching screeches that had at first issued from Kili's room evolved into a halting, tentative melody, and from there slowly swelled into a confident, lively air. Soon recognizable reels and jigs could be heard coming from behind his closed door, and Dis shook her head in amazement over her youngest son's newest accomplishment.

"Other than that bow of his and causing unbelievable amounts of mischief, I've never seen him apply himself to anything like this before!" she said, as she passed Kili's room one bright afternoon while walking with Fili, who was sporting a debonair new badger skin cap. "Come with me, Fili, and try your coat on one last time. I think I've got the hang just about right."

"Good, I can finally take that old rag of Kili's and burn it after I give him my old one."

"What's that?" Kili asked, flinging open his door as he caught his name and nearly taking off Fili's rather long nose.

"I was just telling mother that Thorin was looking for you to go down and muck out the stalls," replied Fili, lying smoothly as he eyed the door that had stopped less than an inch from his face. Dis lifted her eyes heavenward. Thorin had told Fili only moments before that the stalls were his job today.

Kili groaned in annoyance. "I did it last time! I think he's becoming daft in his old ag- Hello Uncle!" he finished brightly, shifting easily into feigned pleasure without missing a beat as their uncle rounded the corner of the winding stone stairs.

"Mm," was the suspicious reply. "Why have you been missing from the sword ring the last three days?" Thorin asked his wayward youngest nephew.

"I meant to go, I just got side tracked. My apologizes. I'll head straight over after I've done the stalls."

"How good of you to take up your brother's workload so that he may try on a new outfit." Thorin drawled, knowing perfectly well what he was about. He had always been able to set the brothers against each other with one well-aimed sentence, and there it was... Kili glared at Fili, who smirked, albeit a bit uneasily. Thorin would now be guaranteed an evening of peace, as the two troublemakers would be too intent upon revenge on each other to bother with aggravating anyone else. The dwarf lord snorted. And they thought he was going daft.

He continued down the hall to his chamber, calling over his shoulder, "Two hours! Both of you! I don't care who does the work, just get it done."

During the next hour Fili postured vainly in his new coat while Dis made a few last adjustments. When she pronounced him finished, Fili picked up his old coat from the floor nearby and flung it at Kili, who was seated on the bed, humming and playing a simple melody. He swore as the coat hit him full in the face.

"Kili!" Dis exclaimed. "I don't want to hear you speak like that again!"

Kili mentally added this latest indignity to his brother's growing list of infractions and tallied them up. Yes, his brother had something coming to him, alright...

They left together for the stables, both wearing their handsome new coats, Kili carrying his fiddle and sword. Kili had to admit that he felt rather fine in his coat, although he was unused to wearing anything that, to him at least, seemed very fancy. Fili had no qualms at all, and strutted proudly in his furs.

"I'm only helping you with the stables so that Thorin doesn't have a coronary if we're late." Kili warned. "Don't think this means you're forgiven."

"I would think that giving you a coat that's bound to draw the attention of every female under the mountain would more than make up for that little bit of trickery." Fili reasoned solomnly. Kili adjusted his mental score chart slightly in Fili's favor.

They finished the stables in record time, dung and straw flying alarmingly in their haste, then darted out to the practice fields where Thorin was already waiting. Kili set his fiddle down on his carefully folded coat on top of a flat rock and took first turn. A few young dwarves wandered by here and there, pausing to observe the various pairs practicing on the field. Out of the corner of his eye, Fili noticed Brede among a group at the far end that was heading in their direction.

After much clanging, grunting, and panting, Thorin called a stop and waved Fili over for his turn. "I'm glad that you haven't forgotten what to do after going so long without picking up a sword," he called a bit acidly after Kili as his nephew picked up his fiddle and hopped nimbly up to straddle the fence that circled the arena. Thorin had secretly hoped that Kili would flounder a bit after his lack of practice, but he had performed irritatingly well. _Much _too well, he thought, rubbing his shoulder where Kili had landed a blow with the flat of his blade.

Kili made no answer, already preoccupied with his music and still feeling rather grand in his coat, which he jauntily flared out behind him over the fence rail. Fili smiled at the figure his brother cut silhouetted there on the fence, one knee up and fiddling blithely away with an air of total engrossment.

"Afternoon," said a soft voice at his side, and Kili nearly fell off the rail. As it was, he came off none too suave as he wobbled and his bow slipped from his shocked fingers and landed in the grass. Brede stooped down and retrieved the bow, handing it back to him with an easy smile. Kili's eyes widened marginally as their fingers briefly met.

"A-Afternoon," he stammered.

"I didn't know that you played." she said, nodding to his momentarily forgotten fiddle with bright interest. "You're very good."

"I- Thanks, I'm just learning." he answered modestly. He realized abruptly that he was no longer breathing and forced himself to take an unsteady breath.

"You'd never know it. You sound like you've been playing for years." Kili was silent, still too nervous to think of anything else to say, and Brede awkwardly looked at the ground. "Well. I guess I should be going," she said, but seemed to be waiting for him to say something to the contrary. When he still didn't speak she gave a friendly little wave and ran to catch up to her friends.

Kili let out the breath that he had managed to take in a great whoosh, and slid bonelessly from the fence to lean against it. What had just happened here? Had Brede, _Brede_, of all people, just come up to talk to him, and had he just _ignored_ her?

"Oh, Eru," he moaned. Fili came running up behind him, panting and sweaty, and clapped him soundly on the back.

"Nicely played! You never want to come off too eager. She'll be following you around in no time, wait and see!" He grinned proudly at his little brother, who looked close to swooning. Fili frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I couldn't think of anything to say! I just stared at her like some gormless slug. Ugh!" Kili threw up his hands and stalked away, leaving Fili staring after him, comically scratching at his head.

"Well, that's what they're used to," Fili muttered under his breath. "Welcome to being a bloke."

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**PS: Ten points to whoever can spot-that-line from the UK 'Being Human'! I couldn't resist throwing it in. ;)**

**(No Googling!)**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Plenty of Being Human fans, I see, as quite a few of you got the quote: "Welcome to being a bloke," said by Mitchell to poor, spastic George. Man, I miss them... Well, here's more poor, spastic Kili to help make up for their loss!**

**Tonight I'm going to give you a short little chapter, with the promise of a super-crazy-long chapter tomorrow! It had to be split, there was just too many fluffy things going on.**

**Also, thank you, thank you,****_ thank you_**** for all the wonderful, thoughtful reviews! You guys are so amazing! *happiness***

* * *

Kili might not have had much of a way with women, but he was no fool. He had noticed the way that pretty Brede's clear blue eyes had begun to follow him whenever he passed by carrying his fiddle. Soon he could be seen with it everywhere, traipsing the halls of Erid Luin wearing it slung low across his back in place of his habitual bow and quiver.

Thorin was becoming annoyed. It wasn't that plenty of other dwarves weren't musically inclined; Their race was well versed in song and dance, but Kili's obsession was taking things to a level that his impassive uncle was unable to comprehend.

"I don't see what he's about with all this nonsense," he remarked to Fili over supper, provoked once again by Kili's inability to appear on time. "You don't see Dori, Ori, or Nori trotting about flaunting their flutes at every opportunity."

"That's because they're flautists, not flauntists," Fili quipped through a mouthful of caramelized apples and onions. A quelling look from his uncle informed him that his smart comment had not been received as well as he might have wished.

A flurried thudding of boots announced Kili's belated arrival. Fili watched with a wince as Kili skidded across the scullery floor and swiped an apple from an unguarded fruit bowl as he passed without stopping. Swaggering into the dining hall, he tossed the apple into the air before taking a bite. _He should know better than to come in here acting all saucy when he's late,_ Fili thought, fearing slightly for Kili's life as Thorin gave his foolish brother a dark look. _What's gotten into him?_

"Sorry, sorry! Lost track of time," Kili apologized, flinging himself into his open seat. He set to work heaping piles of onion and sausage onto his plate while avoiding the cooked apples with a grimace.

"Where have you been that was so enthralling that you couldn't be bothered to show up on time for this hearty meal that your mother cooked for your benefit?" Thorin growled.

"Would you believe the practice ring? And thank you, mother, everything looks absolutely divine." said Kili, tucking in to his piled-high plate and flashing a disarmingly roguish smile his mother's way. Dis maintained a wry expression, but Fili could see her eyes crinkle at the corners as if she were trying to hold back an answering grin. Beard or no beard, his brother could charm the treasure out from under Smaug himself when he was on form. If Kili could only manage to get out of his own way long enough to actually speak three words to Brede, he would have her eating out of his hand in no time, thought Fili with some amusement.

Thorin glowered, obviously immune to the soothing effects of Kili's magnetism. "No, I would most definitely _not_ believe that you were in the practice ring. If you _had _been, I hope that you would have at least managed to break a sweat," he responded acidly, indicating Kili's decidedly dry tunic and uncharacteristically tidy hair with an irritable jerk of his head.

"Oh. An excellent point. Then I must have been out on the plateau."

Fili looked up with interest. The western plateau, or bluff, was a high, flat area on the western ridge that was often used for various social gatherings and parties. It looked like a small section of the rocky plains below the mountains had been magically suspended among the clouds, and the view from the drop-off was breathtaking.

"Whatever for?" Thorin asked.

Kili shrugged and shoveled in a forkful of sausage. "Just havin' a look. There's to be a big to-do tomorrow night. Music, dancing, a bonfire... They're clearing out some of the brush for a bandstand!" He paused his chewing and looked up expectantly from his plate. "Can we go?" Beside him, Fili's face lit up and he nodded eagerly.

Their uncle eyed the pair warily. _Just like two pups begging for scraps under the table,_ he thought.

"Mm," was all that the brothers could extract from Thorin on the matter that night, and they took this to mean that as long as they performed no major feats of mischief between now and the eve of the dance, they might be allowed to join in the festivities. Dis smiled and said that she hoped that they would be able to go, and Fili pretended that he didn't hear the note of doubt in her voice.

Silently, he prayed that his brother would be able to keep his nose clean for that long.

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**Big, Long chapter! Really! I promise!**


	7. Chapter 7

"I didn't tell Uncle," Kili said, unexpectedly, "But they might let me play tomorrow night."

They had finished their supper, and Kili was now lounging across Fili's bed, idly waxing his neglected bow string while his brother looked over a map of Middle Earth that had been given to him by Thorin a few days earlier.

"Who?" Fili asked, abandoning his examination of an odd little place called 'Hobbiton' that he had discovered to the east of their home.

"The band. Let's see, it's Bombur on the drum, Ori on flute, and Dwalin on the viol. Bombur says that they could use a fiddle to round things off."

"Are you sure you want to get close enough to Dwalin to be on stage together?"

"You mean after the boot? Oh, he's got over it now. All's forgiven." Fili snorted. It always was, with his brother. Kili had the magical ability to wipe any slate clean with just a bit of time and a friendly smile. Fili himself still received a suspicious glare from the giant dwarf every time they passed in the halls.

"I'm going up tonight to try out with them. They want to see if I've learned enough to keep up. Want to come?"

Fili had no doubt that his brother would be more than up to their standards. He would never say it out loud, but Orris had been right, Kili really did have an amazing knack for the instrument. "Shall we head up now? Maybe I can help with some of the clearing while you play."

"An excellent notion!" Kili exclaimed, already in motion and preparing to depart. He darted into his room to grab his fiddle while Fili snatched up both of their coats and trotted after him down the hall.

Work on the plateau was well under way when the boys arrived; the bandstand had already been erected, and was being enthusiastically decorated by a group of giggling girls. The weeds and brush that had sprung up since the last gathering were being cleared by a few dwarves of Fili and Kili's age, who were swinging scythes and pulling out small shrubs and saplings by their roots with vigor.

Fili looked about with interest. It had been years since he had last come here, back when he and Kili had been very young. His favorite thing, he remembered, had been the small grove of linden trees that had grown in the protective lee of the mountain. Looking at them now, he saw that they had mostly died off, although many of them still stood or leaned against one another for support. At the center formed by their hollow trunks was a tiny, hidden glade, sheltered and secluded by the ghosts of the old trees. There was still a certain magic to that secret place, Fili thought.

Kili elbowed his brother and leaned over to hiss in his ear. "Look who's here," he said, his lip curled in distaste.

Fili scanned the small field and spotted among those clearing the brush a particularly muscular dwarf with a shock of black hair and an ornately plaited long beard. "Bain," he mouthed back, matching Kili's disgust. Bain was a broad dwarf of Fili's year, and no favorite of either brother. He had a tendency to make cruel jests at the expense of those who were weaker than him, which was almost everyone, and the brothers couldn't stand the sight of him. Bain was arrogant and strong, and the only thing that he had in greater abundance than his muscles was his facial hair, which was another strike against him in Kili's eyes. Worse still, he was constantly hanging around Brede, and he was half the reason that Kili had never managed to approach her. Even as they watched, Bain tossed down the scythe that he had been using and sauntered over to the stage where Brede sat contentedly twining a garland of heather and gorse bunches. Fili didn't think it was just his imagination that Brede looked a trifle irked when Bain sat down uninvited beside her.

Ori, Bombur and Dwalin were already on stage tuning their instruments, and Bombur beckoned for Kili to come over with a wave of his meaty arm.

"I'll see you later. Try to hit Bain with a scythe if you can at all help it." Kili grinned and dashed off. As he passed Brede on the stage he waved and shot her a shy smile, which, in Fili's opinion, was a vast improvement over his usual practice of awkwardly avoiding eye contact. Brede smiled back, and there was nothing tentative in her looks.

Fili thought Kili looked a little anxious as he climbed the stage, but his brother was never one to let nerves hold him back. Well, almost never, he amended as he picked up an unused scythe and chanced a sideways glance at Brede, who was giving Kili her undivided attention to the great chagrin of Bain. Bain rose with a grimace and stalked off, returning to the others in the field without even excusing himself. Fili also went to join them, although he tried to keep his distance from the fuming Bain.

Up on the bandstand, Bombur started in with his drum and Kili listened attentively, attuning himself to the beat.

"Ye can jes' improvise a bit to get the hang of layerin' over the other instruments. We'll join in one by one, and ye can go last. Alrigh'?" Bombur explained to Kili, who nodded happily. He was far better at improvising than he was at following a song by rote memorization. "Ye can sing, too, I hear?" Again Kili nodded.

"A bit. I don't know how good my pitch is, but I'm good and loud, Fili always says." He laughed affably.

"I'm sure you'll do fine laddie. Alrigh', on three!" Bombur counted them down, and one by one they started in; Drum, flute, and viol, finally followed by the playful strains of a fiddle rising above them all. Kili played a few rollicking licks, then dove into a gently meandering melody that wound gaily in and out of the other instruments. He missed a note here and there, but overall his inexperience was more than made up for by his showmanship and spirit. Ori smiled, pleased to see that Kili would work out, and even Dwalin looked marginally impressed.

On the step below the stage, Brede absently set the garland that she had been weaving aside and turned her rapt face to Kili, who was swaying to the music with his eyes closed. Launching into a familiar tune, he broke into song. He had a clear, strong voice, and he used it well to fill in the gaps where his playing was still a bit rocky. Fili stopped and leaned on the handle of his scythe to watch, and chuckled as he saw Brede staring almost open-mouthed. It appeared that his brother had found the chink in the maiden's armor.

"He's good," grunted a grudging voice to Fili's side. Fili turned and saw that Bain had also stopped to watch the performance.

"He's just learning, too." Fili said, with a touch of warm pride.

"An idiot savant, then!" Bain roared, laughing.

Fili frowned. "Watch yourself," he growled, his face flushing scarlet. "My brother is no idiot."

Bain shrugged. "I meant nothing by it. I'm only glad that he's found his place under the mountain. He was only ever good for a bit of a laugh before." he sneered.

Fili started angrily toward him, but Bain never even saw the fist that flew from out of nowhere and hit him square in the face.

Fili looked up in surprise as Kili stepped over Bain's splayed legs, shaking out his hand with a wince. Bain was lying on the ground, groaning and clutching at his nose. Neither he nor Fili had noticed when the music had stopped and Kili had come up to them and caught the tail end of their conversation.

One of Kili's knuckles was split and bleeding. "You didn't break it, did you?" Fili asked with concern, although secretly impressed.

Kili shook his head. "Nah. Not my hand. His nose, maybe. Thought I felt a crunch."

Bain was climbing unsteadily to his feet. "Thorin will hear about this," he growled, swiping at a dribble of blood that oozed from one nostril. When he took his hand away, Fili was pleased to see that his nose had taken on a decided lean to the left. "You'll be lucky if you ever leave the hall again, royal brat."

Kili glared, but said nothing, and over his shoulder, Fili saw Brede coming up behind them with an angry, worried look on her face. Perhaps she had cared for Bain more than it had appeared.

Or perhaps not.

Brede tapped Bain on the shoulder and stood staring crossly up at him when he turned. "What're you goin' to tell Thorin, then? Ye think he'll keep Kili from comin' to the dance tomorrow for hittin' the likes of you? It served y'right, ye great bully! I'm glad someone's finally put ye in yer place, for ye've done naught but pick on everyone since the day ye set foot in Ered Luin." Brede had a healthy country accent that came in very thick when she was riled, and when the 'ye's and 'yer's started flying, people knew that she had worked herself into one of her grand passions. It was this tendency that had earned her the 'spitfire' reputation that Bofur had spoke of.

Bain sputtered. "I've never said a bad word to _you_, Brede!"

"D'y'think that I should be grateful? That I should swoon at yer feet because I'm the only one that ye've never said an unkind word to? I've heard the things ye say about everyone else, and that's enough to turn my stomach!" Blazing eyes stared up at him, and Bain actually cowered.

During this exchange, Kili had been fixedly staring at Brede as if she were a cool glass of water on a sweltering summer's day. Now she startled him out of his reverie by taking his arm and pulling him after her.

"Come on, Kili. If Thorin gets the wrong end of the stick on this, I'll tell him exactly what happened. Ye'll not get in any trouble for giving that lout his comeuppance."

By now, a small crowd had gathered, and Bain uneasily glanced around at the ring of smug faces. It was obvious that not a single person there was on his side, and he turned and stalked away with a sneer. Fili smirked, delighted with the entire situation, then returned to his work, whistling happily. Eventually the others followed his lead and laughed and talked over the recent excitement.

Brede led Kili over to a low outcropping of rock beside the little linden grove. They sat down together and it seemed to Kili that she was very close. She gently took his injured hand in hers to examine. "How is it?" she asked with solicitous concern, her endearing twang fading now that she had calmed herself.

With an air of bravado, Kili shrugged. "It'll be good enough to play for the dance tomorrow." He gulped as she moved closer, rather ruining the effect he had been striving for.

"Good! I love to hear you play. My Da plays the fiddle, you know."

They sat in silence for a moment, and Brede noticed a shadow fall across Kili's usually open features. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He hesitated, staring down at his bruised fist that Brede still held between her own delicate hands. She was softly tracing her fingers in circles around his bloodied knuckle and a pleasant shiver ran down the back of his neck.

"You never gave me so much as a glance before I picked up that fiddle," he said slowly, still staring at their entwined hands. He sounded sad, but determined to hear the truth, and Brede felt a small stab of guilt, even though her previous lack of interest in him had been completely innocent.

"Well, we never had anything in common before! What are archery and sword-fights to me? But _music_ I love! I'm sorry that it took that to catch my attention, but now I can see all the things that I ne'er would have noticed before. You're quick, and funny, and kind... and you can sing and dance like a whirlin' banshee!" She looked at Kili askance. "Wait, are ye sayin' that ye think I'm shallow?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously, knowing that she had him wrong-footed again.

"Wha- No, no! Of course not! It's just that you've only ever seemed interested in Gimli and, well, dwarves with beards, who aren't tall enough to scrape the ceilings when they pass." He mumbled this last bit into his shoulder as he looked down at her nervously.

"Gimli, I'll have you know, excels at cooking, which I happen to enjoy very much myself. We can talk for hours about spices. And," she continued, striving for a straight face, "Beards are quite overrated. They tickle too much."

"Tickle? Oh!" Kili blushed. "Well, I promise, I'll never tickle."

Brede grinned. "So I'll definitely see you at the dance tomorrow?" She raised her impossibly blue eyes up to his, and Kili thought he might drown in their deep pools.

"Yes," he breathed. "Oh, definitely, yes!"

"Good." she said, leaping up from the rock. Kili copied her movement without thinking. "Don't do anything too awful between now and then that might make Thorin keep you from comin'! I hate to be disappointed." Kili's eyes widened and he thought that he might sink into the ground when Brede stood on her very tip toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I- I- Um, yes, I'll behave!" He winced as his words insisted on stumbling all over themselves.

"Goodnight, Kili," she whispered. Her fragrant lips still hovered near his ear and her eyes were closed. It looked as though she expected something from him, but Kili's overwrought brain refused to reveal what that something might be.

Brede opened her eyes as the moment passed, and he saw that they were dancing with amusement. "Tomorrow, then," she said huskily, and turned and walked away with her hips swaying fetchingly.

Fili sauntered over to his brother's side and crossed his arms as they both watched Brede go. "You're supposed to kiss them when they do that," he remarked casually.

"Shut up!"

"Just sayin'. You'll know better next time." He laughed, then cursed as Kili's elbow caught him in the ribs. "Now don't go getting too big for your britches, little brother. You may be able to take down the likes of Bain, but you'll not best me!"

"Bain was twice your size!"

"He wasn't! I'd have had him down myself if you hadn't come over just when you did."

The bickering and jabs continued until they reached the great hall, where Thorin sat with his boots propped before a roaring fire. He was studying an ancient looking map that he hastily folded and tucked away as the boys entered. News of Kili's altercation with Bain had already reached him, and he watched his youngest nephew with interest.

"Erm. So..." Kili began, looking at the floor.

"Been in a fight, have we?" Thorin prompted.

"Here's the thing-"

"Save it. Your little Brede already stopped by and told me what happened." Thorin eyed Kili in an appraising manner before seeming to decide upon approval as his dominant feeling on the matter.

"Brede was here?" Kili stammered, and Thorin fought back a chuckle. The lad was starry-eyed, no doubt about it.

"Yes, and she was very anxious that I not kill you before the dance. Apparently, she harbors some silly notion that you're to see her there tomorrow night."

Panic spread across Kili's face. "But I can still go, right?"

"Will you apologize to Bain?" Thorin asked with an oddly veiled expression.

Anger flared up behind Kili's eyes, and although he warred with his desire to see Brede at the dance, he lifted his chin in defiance. "Absolutely not. The lout got exactly what was coming to him, and I'm not sorry for a second."

Thorin nodded, pleased, and Fili and Kili blinked in surprise. "Then you can still go. No nephew of mine will ever lower himself to apologize to that worthless layabout. Go and enjoy yourselves, and if Bain gives you anymore trouble, well... Just make sure that I never have to hear about it. Now go to bed." he finished, tacking on a harsh tone at the end just to feel that he had done his proper duty by the lads.

The boys trotted obediently off, mystified and relieved by their unexpected reprieve.

"Oh, and Kili," Thorin called out after him, once again shaking out his map over his lap, "Brede is truly something."

"That she is!" Kili grinned ecstatically and bound up the stairs for his bed, eager to court whatever dreams of tomorrow awaited him there.

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**AN: Alright, it wasn't colossal, but it was a big enough chapter by my standards. And Kili finally said a full sentence to Brede!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I am so, so sorry that this update took so long! But frankly, my head was in a different story for a time, and since this is rather the pinnacle of this tale, I wanted to make sure that I had the tone of a certain special moment just right. There could be no forcing it for timeliness' sake. I hope I've made up for it with this absofreakinglutely ****_MASSIVE_**** chapter, however. (And yes, I did manage to fit in a bit of Bain, although I think you'll forget all about him by the end!)**

**Also, I thought I could do this in one chapter, but I wanted to pause on that final note. There will be one last, shorter chapter, followed by an optional epilogue.**

* * *

"No!" Kili was scowling.

"Come on, just one isn't going to hurt anything!"

"Fili! I said no feckin' braids!"

Coats and tunics and hair ornaments were flying as Fili tried to ready his brother for the upcoming festivities. It was the eve of the gathering, and Kili had done nothing to prepare himself other than to polish his fiddle until the smooth rosewood glowed with a satisfying warmth.

Fili threw up his hands in disgust. "We've only got an hour to get you looking presentable, if you would only make a little effort-"

"I'm not reinventing myself for anyone, Fili. She likes me as I am." Kili crossed his arms and planted his feet, daring Fili to come any closer with the set of hair clips that he was currently brandishing in his irate, and largely unkempt, brother's direction.

Fili smiled at that and set the clips down. "Aye, she does, and good for you. But your hair still looks as if you've been living with a pack of cave trolls for the better part of a decade." He began edging toward Kili with a sly look and his hands held suspiciously behind his back.

"Get away from me with that comb or I'll throttle you."

Exasperated, Fili abandoned his arsenal, tossing the brush and comb that he had been hiding down on his desk. "Suit yourself. If you want to look like you just wandered in out of the wilds of Fangorn, then be my guest, but don't come crying to me when they chase you off with torches and pitchforks because they think they're being gate-crashed by a marauding beast." Fili tugged at his fastidious twin braids thoughtfully. Surely the occasion merited gold caps for the ends. Perhaps some golden threads woven in, and would it be too much to add a gold tassel-?

"What?" he broke up his visions of gold, gold, and more gold with a shake of his leonine head, realizing that Kili had been speaking to him.

"While you were busy envisioning yourself dripping with splendor, I was trying to tell you that I'm staying after to help with the cleanup. You'll have to tell Thorin after he gets out of his meeting with that wizard, otherwise he'll have my hide for staying out so late."

"Fine, fine." Fili was again toying with his hair. A raven-haired beauty from out of the foothills had been giving him promising looks, and Fili was determined to outshine every dwarf on the plateau. Melea wasn't as easy on the eyes as Brede, but she more than made up for it with a certain brazen appeal, and Fili had plenty of reason to believe that he would be favorably received this evening.

Kili was lounging in the doorway and watching his brother primp with a diverted expression. Fili was generally considered handsome enough, and topping off his fortunate looks with gold and furs was, in Kili's opinion, simply gilding the lily. He yawned widely. "In your own time, then."

Fili hastily added a few last touches to his hair. Turning, he asked, "Have I got them even?" One braid was too far left, and although Kili could have happily let him go out looking less than flawless, he leaned forward and yanked it straight.

"Ow!" Fili yelped, batting his hand away.

"You're welcome."

Suitably bedecked, they let themselves out into the halls, which were filled with loitering young dwarves, mostly of Fili and Kili's years. There were a some young enough to require a chaperone, and many of these were accompanied by an older sibling, although a few pouting Dwarflings were being patiently led to the plateau by a tolerant parent.

Melea was among one of the groups furthest back, having had a longer walk than most as she had come all the way up from the foothills with her sister. Fili hung back near a partially open door to wait. Kili stopped to loiter with his brother, and with his usual irrepressible curiosity, peeked through the cracked doorway and into the small den of Thorin's private study.

There was a diverse selection of weapons displayed along the stone-walls of the chamber; Swords, knives and spears were all in attendance, and some of the finest examples had come from Thorin's own forge. A pair of shining battle axes hung crossed in an 'X' above a stout oak desk, which was littered with a slew of maps and drawings. Two men were bent over the desk, pouring over a particularly old looking, dog-eared map. One of the men was the owner of the room, and the other was a very tall, gray-cloaked man with a long, straggly beard, whom Kili had never seen before. The gray stranger was thoughtfully handling a golden chain hung with a silver key, and Thorin's eyes were glued to the bauble as if it were something very precious.

A sharp kick to his ankle reminded Kili of his brother's presence, and he turned with a forced, cheery smile to greet Fili's love interest of the moment. "Evening, Melea. You're looking very fine for the dance tonight. The pair of you are absolutely breathtaking." he said, gallantly including Melea's sister, Orla, in his statement. Although Orla truly _was_ breathtaking, it was unfortunately for a very different reason than her captivating sister. Kili's angelic face belied any insincerity, however, and Orla smiled gratefully at his pretty words.

They led the ladies down the halls and up the exterior pass to the drop, where the sisters left them briefly to greet a tittering bevy of girlfriends that they had not seen in a fortnight. The brothers wove their way through the crush that hovered near the entrance and out onto the cleared field.

The plateau had undergone a wondrous transformation since they had last seen it. Brilliantly colored paper lanterns hung from strings, criss-crossed and gently swaying above the area that had been cleared at the front of the bandstand for dancing. An enormous trestle table, laden with punch bowls, miniature cakes, candied fruits and tarts, was set before a flickering sea of candles, each one cleverly set into a crevice of the rocky summit that rose behind. From a distance, it looked as though the early stars of the evening sky had been brought down to the mountain and stood up as a scintillating backdrop for this special night.

The stage was festooned with wreaths and sweeping swags of flowers, and the smell of fresh lavender carried across the plateau on the cool breeze. More lanterns hung from the posts at each corner, giving the musicians light to see by and illuminating the show for the crowd.

The linden grove had not been forgotten. It was more beautiful and ethereal than anything they had ever seen; A translucent, gauzy fabric swooped gracefully from tree to tree, wrapping the grove with a warm, ghostly glow that seemed to have no earthly source. Within the heart of the hidden glade flashed tiny pin-pricks of white light, and the effect was something like a thousand fire-flies trapped inside a glowing, crystal globe.

"How did they do that?" Kili gasped in awe. "There's no candles or torches. It just... glows."

"The wizard," Fili said. "The tall gray one who was speaking with Uncle as we left. I suppose he's lent his talents for the occasion."

"I've heard that wizards are very fond of fireworks. D'you think there's any around?" The avid gleam that sprung up in Kili's eyes at the promise of fiery, airborne explosions was more than a little disconcerting, and Fili was quick to burst any mischievous bubbles that he might have formed in his devious mind.

"Kili, there is an entire grove of dead, desiccated trees over there that amount to nothing more than a bundle of kindling wrapped in magical, but still very likely flammable, tissue. Do _not_ mess with the fireworks."

Kili mulled over Fili's flawless logic. All he came up with was, "So... there _are_ fireworks, then?"

"Aule, give me strength," Fili muttered, rubbing dramatically at his temples.

"Headache?" Kili commiserated.

"You have no idea... Is that ale?" Fili changed the subject and pointed out a large, oak barrel cradled by a sturdy wooden stand at the end of the refreshment table. They hurried over and Kili poured them two small glasses to sample.

"It's not ale," said Fili, smacking his lips fastidiously. "It's-"

"MEAD!" Kili finished, quickly downing his glass in one enthusiastic gulp. A frown creased his brow as his empty cup was plucked from his hand.

"Ye'll need to keep a bit of a straight head fer playin' tonight, laddie. No more mead fer you, I'm afraid." said Bombur, who had trundled up behind them with a surprisingly stealthy step. He gave Kili an apologetic smile. "Come on over an' we'll get started with the warm-up."

Fili waggled his fingers in smug farewell as Kili was led off and helped himself to another cup of the sweetly honeyed brew.

The crowd blocking the pass had finally made its way to the refreshment table, and in an attempt to avoid the sudden crush of laughing young dwarves, Fili filled two more cups and sauntered over to Melea and Orla. Orla giggled as he passed her a cup, and Fili laid a finger to his lips and hushed her with a wink. Melea downed her mead almost before the cup had left Fili's hand and began to ply him with a liberal amount of saucy lash-batting and all-around coquetry.

A short mishmash of discordant sounds came from the stage as the players tuned up and made their final adjustments. Bombur called a halt and was in the middle of explaining something to Kili when the latter dropped his jaw and almost his fiddle as well. Bombur and Dwalin turned to where young Kili's eyes were riveted and chuckled knowingly. Brede had arrived.

She was silhouetted softly before the celestial display of flickering candles and looking very fetching in a midnight blue shift that laced high up the back and dipped low enough in the front that Kili had to make a conscious effort to keep his eyes on her transcendent, beaming face. She waved almost timidly when she saw him.

Bombur managed to catch Kili's eye and he humored him with a wink and a nod. Kili lost no time in catapulting down off the stage and trotting over to Brede's side. She laughed merrily as he dipped low in a gallant bow and caught up both of her hands to grace them with exaggerated kisses. With a becoming blush that was very unlike her usual brassy air, she spread her velvet skirts wide and dropped a matching curtsey.

"I'm glad to see Thorin took my advice." she said softly. She seemed uncharacteristically nervous tonight, Kili thought, as he watched her fidget with the end of a silken lock of hair. He led her to the refreshment table.

"It's not our first run-in with Bain, if you can believe it. Uncle Thorin would likely have taken my word for what happened, but thank you laying the groundwork of an explanation. You saved me a good deal of lecturing, at any rate. Our Uncle doesn't feel that he's done his duty by us unless the discussion ends in a bit of yelling."

"I would ne'er have guessed. Truly, he seemed a perfect lamb."

Kili paused to fix this new image of his uncle in his mind and found it impossible. "You have actually _met_ Thorin, haven't you? You're sure there hasn't been some mistake?" She smiled demurely and shook her head. Placing a cup of punch in her hand, and with his own hand settled firmly on her hip, Kili steered Brede over to where his brother was buried chin-deep in Melea's neck. Kili made an excessive performance of clearing his throat to herald their arrival and Fili reluctantly surfaced. Orla looked distinctly relieved to be able to see both of their faces again, and crept back meekly from her self-exiled post near the lindens.

Fili was a trifle nettled by the interruption, but hid it well as he saw that Brede was joining them. He greeted her warmly even as he cast a sly smirk in Kili's direction. Kili didn't notice, however; he had become immersed in the sweet scent of Brede's hair as she stood before him, just below his nose. His brother's sly smirk took an amused turn.

The crowd was becoming antsy, and Fili noticed many of the young couples were anxiously craning their necks to gain a better view of the stage. "Don't you have somewhere that you're supposed to be?" he prompted, nudging Kili with an elbow.

"Hm? Oh, erm, right!" He left off his love-struck sniffing and looked around to find Dwalin staring at him expectantly. He held a finger up in acknowledgement and pressed Brede closer to his side, planting a swift kiss on a wisp of curls at her temple. "They'll let me go for a while during intermission," he told her. "Dance, and have a good time!" He said this last a little stiffly, and Fili could see that his brother clearly wanted Brede dancing with no one else, but was loathe to put any restrictions on her.

"I'll dance a few reels with you, Brede." Fili offered. He would have been lying if he had said that he wasn't curious to see the depth of Brede's attachment to his brother. He would be a safe alternative while Kili was otherwise occupied, should Brede choose to accept him.

"Oh! Thank you, Fili, maybe just one, if Melea doesn't mind. I'd hate to step on any toes. There are plenty of my girlfriends over there that I can dance with, and I'm sure Orla would love t' join us. I'd hate t' put you out." These well-managed words brought varying expressions of relief to Kili, Fili, Melea, and Orla. Melea would have her man, Fili would be free to enjoy her embraces, Kili was assured of Brede's intent to dance with no other but himself, and Orla was overjoyed to have an invite to join any group at all.

The sound of a lone viol filtered over from the stage, and Dwalin was wearing a displeased expression alarmingly reminiscent of the badger-boot incident of the Harlond journey. Kili threw himself into a last enthusiastic embrace with Brede before dashing off, grinning, to the bandstand. Brede was left flushed and unnaturally subdued as she watched him go. Fili blinked, surprised and pleasantly amused at this sudden role reversal. Confident Kili and bashful Brede was something that he had never expected to witness.

The band began with a lively beat from Bombur's drum. As the other instruments joined in with a fast, staccato rhythm, the couples waiting before the stage started up with high-flying feet and much laughter and swinging. Kili's nimble fingers flew over the strings as he entertained with a bouncy, frolicsome melody. A fling dance was a favorite of most Dwarves.

Fili felt a gentle tug at his sleeve and turned to find Brede looking up at him. "Fili, I've got someone to dance with for the next few, I'll just be over there." They both turned, and Fili stopped short as he was met with the unwelcome sight of Bain standing before him. For a brief moment he was outraged on his brother's behalf, but this reaction was proved unwarranted when Brede walked past Bain, giving him a wide berth on her way to a beckoning group of her friends. They joined hands in a ring and danced happily on their own, spinning and kicking. Bain glowered past Fili toward the stage, a cup of mead clutched in his beefy fist. Downing the drink quickly, he returned to the keg for more, and Fili resolved to keep a careful eye on him.

He escorted Orla over to Brede's dancing circle and returned to Melea, and by the time he reached her, Bain was on his third cup and looking surly. Fili was forced to let Bain out of his sight as he claimed Melea for the dance. They spun and dipped, all raven-hair and gold, and made a lovely couple. They stood out among the others, even from the stage, and Kili smiled as he watched his glowing brother laugh.

Several songs in and the dancers and players were thoroughly ensconced in their enjoyment of the revelry. Overheated bodies pressed close and couples became as one as a slow, swaying song took the place of the earlier lively jigs. Brede's dance circle broke up and the girls stepped back to observe the revolving couples. It was a moment Bain had apparently been waiting for. Up on the stage, Kili scowled helplessly and played a few wrong notes as Bain made his approach. Brede had not seen him coming yet, and Fili was again occupied with the hidden wonders of Melea's slender throat.

Brede was flushed and panting, and just brushing a tendril of damp curls from her face when a hand met hers and brushed it back for her. She had been fully occupied with watching Kili on stage, and jumped when she turned to find Bain hovering uncomfortably close. "What're you doin'?" she gasped, taking a step back.

Lurching unsteadily, Bain held out his hand. "I can't help but notice you've been left on your own. A lady should have a man to guide her. What sort of man would leave his woman for so long without a partner?" A fermented exhalation assaulted her as he spoke, and Brede took another step away. A few more sour notes alerted Brede to Kili's awareness of the situation, and she turned her blue eyes on him with a forced, reassuring smile. Fili had seen the pair as well, and was fighting his way through the crowd to Brede's side, Melea in tow. He was concerned by Bain's drunken stagger.

"I don' _need_ a man t'guide me, Bain, but I'll be more than happy t'dance wi' _Kili_ when he's no longer engaged." Brede stated concisely, and crossed her arms to ensure that her message made it through Bain's mead-befuddled mind.

Bain blinked piggishly. "You would have that Durin rat over _me_?" he expostulated, puffing himself up.

"Any day an' in any way." Brede affirmed. "He's worth more'n you ever could be."

Bain looked as though he'd been struck and, more alarmingly, as if he wished to strike Brede in return. Fili shot between them and shoved him back. A crowd was gathering. Many of them had witnessed the earlier altercation between Kili and Bain, and understood the situation instantly. Before Bain could raise a fist or open his mouth, he found himself cut off from Brede and Fili by a throng of angry young dwarves, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. No one needed to speak, the message was clear enough; they would act in Kili's stead. Bain growled, and slunk off back to his haunt near the mead keg, and his noxious presence was enough to ensure that he had it to himself for the remainder of the evening.

Kili had been craning his neck and playing rather horribly during this time, and he breathed a sigh of relief when the crowd cleared and he could see that Brede was once again surrounded by friends. He sought Bain out with narrowed eyes and mentally promised him a payback at a later date. Collecting his wits, he resumed playing with his usual excellence.

Fili was impressed and touched by Brede's loyalty. Throughout the evening, he was pleased to see that she had eyes for no other. She continued to dance only in groups and declined the many finely bearded Dwarves who requested her hand. Any time not spent laughing with her friends found her clapping and smiling as she gazed at Kili on stage. Brede had won Fili's wholehearted approval and he danced with Melea with no further misgivings.

A few more songs, a few more drinks. Bain was not one to easily let go a perceived slight. As the drink settled deeper into his dark, muddled thoughts, Kili became the object of all of his pent up resentment. Surely Brede would have been his by now, had it not been for that homely whelp's intervention. The furrows of his brow deepened as he staggered over to the dessert table.

Kili had by now forgotten Bain's existence, and pranced across the stage, nudging Ori in an attempt to encourage a bit more activity from the shy little flute player. Ori smiled, but fanned him away, and Kili returned to the front just in time to avoid the first round of tarts that pelted the stage where he had stood only a moment before. Ori flipped backward off his seat, heels in the air and emitting a sharp trill of surprise from his instrument when a crusty cream puff exploded at his feet. Scanning the crowd for the source of the puff, Kili spotted his rival as Bain was readying his next assault. Kili was fortunate enough to nimbly dodge the second barrage of airborne desserts. Not so fortunate was Dwalin, who was unprepared and took the brunt of a pastry full in the face. Cream and gooseberries dripped from the end of his nose into his beard, and uneasy hush settled over the crowd.

"Who," Dwalin sputtered, licking at his bristles, "Who _DARES_- " He caught sight of Bain, wide-eyed and still clutching a miniature raspberry pie in his fist. "YOU!" Dwalin roared, and leapt from the stage. In his first intelligent move of the evening, Bain dropped the pie and bolted.

"_Intermission!_" Bombur bellowed, flinging aside his drumsticks and hastily clambering after Dwalin in the hopes of preventing permanent damage to Bain's face.

The chase would be set down in the recorded history of Ered Luin. Bain danced and dodged like a trained circus bear as Dwalin lunged after him, flinging bits of whatever food he happened to lay his meaty hands on. Pirouetting drunkenly, Bain miraculously managed to avoid the majority of Dwalin's savory missiles.

On stage, Kili raised his hands and directed the crowd into a roar of applause that was eventually eclipsed by an even louder roar of laughter. "Let's all give a round of applause for Bain, who, believe it or not, has had no formal training whatsoever!"

The farce ended with Dwalin upending the punchbowl onto Bain's breeches. The bowl had been meant to smash over his head, but Bombur had finally huffed and waddled his way over to the melee and checked Dwalin's arm just in time to downgrade the blow from an assault to an insult. Bain was fuming, and the color of his face was matched only by the punch-dyed shade of his trousers.

"You'd best get out of here, laddie, before I get my hands on you!" Dwalin boomed his advisement from a position pinioned between Bombur and Ori. He fought madly to free his arms, and Bain scampered for the exit faster than an Elf up a tree.

Kili used this interim to dart to Brede's side. She was laughing harder than anyone, and turned on him a face infused with delight when Kili brushed her arm. She quieted at his serious, questioning look. "Are you alright?" he asked, rubbing her shoulder.

"D'you mean after that bit wi' Bain? Yes, fine! Fili was there, an' the whole of the mountain rose up to thwart him! It was lovely!" She laughed again, familiar fire dancing in her eyes, and Kili relaxed marginally. He was still holding her arm, gentle but firm.

"I'm sorry I didn't leap down the second I saw him, but I didn't dream that he would dare start anything in front of all those people, and with _you_!" His face was dark, remembering Bain's thunderous look as he had started towards her.

"Kili, I would hardly have expected you to! It would have been ridiculous, leapin' from the stage in the middle o' playin'. Ye made yer point perfectly clear yesterday, an' that was the reason the others jumped in so quickly. They knew what was what." She brushed at an incidental smattering of cream on the sleeve of his coat. "Besides, if ye had come down, we would have missed yer lovely dance to avoid the flying pastries."

Groaning, Kili said, "I'm sure I looked like quite the ass."

Brede stepped in closer, head down, and took the lapels of his coat in her hands. "Not at all," she breathed, all earlier hesitancy of the evening forgotten as she eased the coat from his shoulders, her chest pressing lightly against his as she stood on her toes. "You were perfect."

Kili gulped and took an accidental step back and almost dropped the fiddle that he still clutched before catching himself and standing firm. _You're not backing down this time,_ he coached himself. She was so very close now. The delicate smell of lavender blossoms drifted up from her hair, enticing him to bring a tremulous hand up to caress the strands. He closed his eyes and leaned down. He would not miss this moment again for all the world.

"Kili," she drew back and his eyes flew open, afraid that he had misread the signs. Brede took his hand and turned her face up to his, blinking impossibly large eyes in a heavy, suggestive way. "Come with me," she whispered. Tugging him resolutely in her wake, she wove in and out of other loitering couples and led them both into the ethereal glow of the linden grove. The dancing lights within the incandescent hollow indeed proved to be fire-flies, although they were of no variety that Kili had ever come across during any of his childhood forays into the woods and glens surrounding the mountain. An odd sensation prickled at the base of his spine, and he thought again of the gray wizard in his uncle's study below. There was magic here, he was sure of it.

Brede released his hand and seated herself between the roots of a cradling tree. Patting the ground beside her, she commanded, "Play for me. Only for me." It was a request that Kili wouldn't deny. He seated himself at her side, close enough that as his hip brushed her thigh he felt her draw in an expectant breath. He tucked the base of the familiar fiddle under his chin and raised the bow. Brede's hands were in his hair, weaving and twining the brown strands in an intimate way that he had never appreciated before. She created a single, perfect plait, then tugged it free, fingers not seeking to change any part of him, only to caress what was already there. Kili closed his eyes as her play conjured a pleasant tingle at the nape of his neck. She gave him an impatient nudge, and he smiled.

There was no song on earth good enough for such a moment as this, and so Kili made one up on the spot, pulling a soft, soulful melody seemingly out of the air. His lush voice joined with his song and his heart caught in his throat as Brede closed her eyes and laid her gentle head against his shoulder with a sigh. He played on. The words were at times nonsensical rhythm and hums. Other times, snippets of ballads and love songs snuck into play.

The reclining head on his shoulder stirred, and turned its lips toward the source of the words. Kili's song faded, words melting into tender, muffled moans, breathed lovingly into tentative flesh. Outside, a tall, gray shadow stirred, and the suffused shroud of the lindens dimmed as the hidden couple lent their own magic to the embrace of the glade. The shadow moved on. The hollow clunk of a fiddle striking earth was the final sound to give way before their exploratory murmurs and sensuous questions of seeking and being sought.

There came an abrupt hush. Those nearest the linden grove cast a few knowing glances in the direction of the sheltering trees before trailing away to watch the bonfire at the cliff as it was lit.

Within the hollow, there was no sound, save the soft, twin gasps of the newly initiated. Time gave them the answers they sought, blissful at the close as they lay with their new-found knowledge in a tangle of shivering limbs, a fervent promise lingering in the air.

In the orange light of the communal blaze, the band, conspicuously lacking one prominent member, struck up a slow tune in a sultry minor key that had no need of Kili's soaring fiddle. Displaced from their sanctuary, the illuminating beacons of the fire-flies danced higher and higher, until their flashing orbs merged with the stars.

There _were_ fireworks that night, and although they were not of the variety that Kili had anticipated, they were much, much more deeply satisfying.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Technically last chapter, although see the post-script for another possibility! I just want to point out that this will bring us up to a book-verse version of the journey, because movie-verse, with the addition of Tauriel and the direction that's likely to take, might make Kili look like an inconsistent jerk, which, of course, he isn't! He's obviously wonderfully loyal, so no Tauriel for this Kili!**

* * *

A knock came from the door. Fili was inside, having returned late from the dance, and was straightening lengths of sinew in preparation for snares as he waited up for Kili. It was the dark hours of early morning, and Fili wondered who else might be awake. Kili would not have bothered knocking.

"Come in," he called out. He rose in surprise as Thorin entered.

"You're back late," his uncle commented, scanning the room. He was fully dressed, fur-lined coat, boots and all, but what caught Fili's attention was the woven leather carry-pack and water skin he sat on the ground at his feet. His uncle was dressed for travel. "Your brother is not in his room. Surely he should be back by now?"

"Kili should be back soon, I think. He stayed after for the clean-up." Fili bustled about lighting more candles for his uncle to see by and laid a fire in the small hearth near the bed. He made a mental note to start one in Kili's room as well, once Thorin had gone. The two hearths shared a wall and the same chimney. Without the fire, Kili's room would be freezing by the time he got back.

As the fire in the grate flared to life, Thorin peered around Fili's room with interest. It was not often that he came into his nephews' private chambers these days. He remembered a time not so long ago when he would enter unannounced, on purpose, to catch them up to their ears in mischief; pilfered objects had often needed to be recovered from their collections of 'found' treasures. Bofur's wood tools were especially popular with the lads, and could usually be found among an assortment of birds' nests, fossils, dried bits of flora, and a disturbing smattering of small animal skulls. Thorin assumed the latter were found as well, although he tactfully avoided looking in to the matter. Boys would be boys.

A change had been wrought over the years. The skulls and nests of old had been supplanted. Now, in Fili's room at least, these one-time trophies had been replaced by half-worked sinews, bits of ornamental gold and silver, daggers, skinning knives, leather hides, and an excessive amount of clothing. It was Fili, grown, reduced to a simple tableau.

Thorin cleared his throat and seated himself in the chair Kili had once flung himself into so long ago in his despair over Brede. "Oh? Are you sure his delay has nothing to do with the beautiful Miss Brede?"

Fili hadn't seen Kili since the final incident with Bane. He had become more than a little occupied with Melea after that, and his brother's affairs had naturally become second fiddle to his own. Now that Thorin mentioned it... "Oh, no," he reassured his uncle, "I'm sure it's nothing like that. He told me before we left that he would be late."

"How," _convenient_, thought Thorin, "responsible," he finished aloud.

Fili shrugged. He hoped for Kili's sake that he had been smart enough not to shirk his promise. Dwalin and the other members of the band would have stayed as well, and of course they would report directly to Thorin. No, Kili wouldn't be that stupid. He was well versed in the art of maintaining alibis.

Fili dragged a second chair over and joined his uncle by the fire. Thorin continued, "I had wished to speak to you both. Unfortunately, it appears that it will fall to you to relay what I have to say to your brother. I am leaving shortly, as you can see. There are some old friends that I must see to."

Fili sat up straighter and turned in his seat. "This seems sudden. Will you be gone for long?"

"A fortnight at most. Long enough." He tapped a distracted nail against the wooden arm of his chair. "I've been watching the two of you for some time now," he said finally.

_Can't be good_, Fili thought, wincing inwardly at the many indiscretions his uncle might be about to bring up. "Oh?" was all he said. It was always best not to incriminate yourself before charges were brought.

Chuckling, Thorin rolled his neck across his shoulders until he elicited a pleasing crackle of vertebrae. "'Oh,' he says. You're right to be leery, with all the trouble the pair of you get up to. No, it's not that I wish to speak of, however. I assume you saw the wizard?"

Intrigued, Fili nodded. "Gandalf. I thought I heard the name earlier. Gandalf the Gray."

Thorin raised his brows. "You heard?"

Fili's face colored. "_Over_heard," he admitted. "Outside your study."

"Ah. Kili saw him as well?"

"I believe so. Who is he?"

"A friend, and soon to be traveling companion." He looked Fili over. The younger Dwarf could see his uncle forming some sort of resolution and he waited. "He will be your traveling companion as well, if you wish to come with us. I think you are ready."

Fili leaned forward in his seat, completely drawn in. "Ready for what?" he asked.

"_Erebor_," came the almost breathless reply. Thorin's eyes burned into Fili's own. "I wish for my nephews to be with me when we retake the mountain! The time has come. You will be part of the ballads sung through the halls of our homeland, passed down in legend. Your names will be whispered by the awestruck lips of your children's children. Erebor!"

The intensity of his gaze made Fili want to fidget, although his spine tingled with an excited shiver. _The Lonely Mountain_... "You- You want _us_ to be a part of the company to take back the Mountain? Kili and I?"

"I think you are ready," Thorin repeated his earlier assessment. "Overall, you did well on the Harlond journey - " Fili thought back guiltily to the crumpet-badger-boot incident and blinked in surprise. "I am glossing over certain unfortunate incidents, of course," Thorin continued, seeing Fili's disbelieving expression. "Although, some good did come of that venture. Dwalin has always been a right tetchy traveling companion. He doesn't gripe half so bad now Kili taught him that lesson. You have both worked hard and trained well. Even with Kili's recent... distraction, he hasn't forgotten a single move in the sword ring, and this tells me your training has become second nature. Certainly, as heir, it is high time you experience more of the world."

At these last words, Fili felt the beginnings of an unseen weight bearing down on him. Being the heir of a never-before-seen kingdom had been an abstract concept in Fili's life for so long that now, confronted with the possibility of actually regaining that birthright, he felt the first stirrings of the heavy responsibilities that would become his with their success. He was too excited and moved by this proof of his uncle's faith in them to let the feeling dampen his spirits, however. "You're inviting us on a _quest_?" His eyes glittered with sights of faraway adventure.

"You have borne the burden of keeping your brother in line for many years. I can't imagine the terror he would be without your voice of reason to talk him down from his heights. If that doesn't earn you a place in legend, I don't know what does," Thorin smiled.

"When do we leave?" Fili fairly shouted in his excitement.

Thorin chuckled. "Not for some time yet. You have a while to get your affairs in order. I must gather more companions. Dwalin, Bombur, Ori, Bofur and Balin have agreed to the quest so far. I must travel to find the others. The wizard has suggested an addition to our party and needs time to make our request known to him." He snorted. "A burglar, if you can believe it."

"A burglar? But what are we to burgle? Are we not going to fight off the dragon?" Fili frowned. Ballads and legends did not often include burglars. Or warriors of Bombur's... stature. Or those of his and Kili's age, he realized. His eyes narrowed, painting a ragtag picture of their group in his mind. The image was less reassuring than he would have liked.

"We will see. I have my doubts when it comes to the burglar, but I trust Gandalf's judgment." Thorin seemed unperturbed by any doubts about those he had named so far, and Fili relaxed.

Thorin rose with a sigh. "Your brother is determined not to appear, it seems. I must take leave of your mother and ready the pony. We will talk more when I return. Study the map that I gave you earlier and explain to your brother. I think he will not refuse," he said with a wry smile. The idea of Kili turning down an adventure was of course ludicrous.

"I will. Safe travels." Fili embraced his uncle in farewell, mind still buzzing with the news of the journey. He collapsed into his uncle's abandoned chair as Thorin's footfalls echoed down the stairs. _Erebor_. His uncle would be King under the Mountain, and he, Fili, would be a _true_ heir. He frowned, and his stomach churned.

But the _adventure_! The churning in his guts morphed into glad butterflies. The open road, the broad plains, rivers, and excitement! And a real, live burglar! Fili laughed aloud. In all this, he and his brother were to play a part!

Fili rose from the chair in an excited move reminiscent of his brother's quickness. He went to Kili's room and started a small blaze to chase away the chill, then returned to his snares to busy his hands while he waited. With so much to relate, time had never passed more slowly.

* * *

A slim, tottering figure made its way up the torchlit, winding stone stairs, clutching a pair of boots that were well-scuffed from dancing. A yawn broke the blanketing silence of the wee hours of the morning, and Kili planted the back of his hand across his mouth in a vain attempt to stifle the sound. With his hand off the railing, he missed a step and stumbled, flailing, into an ignominious, swearing heap on the landing. His fiddle was saved from destruction only because it was slung across his back on a cord.

An amused snort came from from his brother's doorway, and Kili brushed back his dark hair to find Fili shaking his head at his less than dignified antics.

"Alright?" Fili asked, cocking his head to one side skeptically.

Kili scrambled up, well aware that it was too late to salvage his dignity. He was moonfaced and grinning somewhat idiotically, Fili noted. He wondered if it were the result of his fall. "Alright?" he repeated.

"Mm," Kili responded dreamily, wandering after his brother as Fili turned and retreated back to the warmth of his fire. "Never better."

Kili had indeed stayed after for the clean-up as promised, although he had first walked Brede back to her family's quarters in the mountain, where they had shared a slow, lingering goodbye before he had regretfully left her to fulfill his duty.

Fili flopped into one of the two chairs that he had moved before the hearth and propped his bare feet up before the merrily dancing flames. "Had a good time, did we?"

"Most definitely," Kili agreed, eschewing the second chair and floating over to the bed, where he threw himself down on his stomach with a sigh. "You?"

Fili nodded and studied his brother through narrowed eyes. "What have you been into? You look all... Dopey."

Kili was torn between a desire to be chivalrous and an overwhelming need to shout his wondrous experience to the moon. He compromised by continuing to grin stupidly and shaking his head. "I haven't been into anything," he said, smiling wider than Fili would have thought physically possible. That smile was not at all innocent. If Kili had been a cat, Fili would have expected to see a feather sticking out the corner of his mouth. He looked like he had just got the canary. A mental cog clicked into place.

"Ah," said Fili, enlightened. "So Miss Brede - "

"Is a lovely girl," Kili finished, putting an end to the matter.

"I see."

The room fell quiet, aside from the crackling logs and Kili humming a silly little snatch of melody quietly beneath his breath. "Kili," Fili began, breaking the silence after a time.

"Hmm?"

"Where do you expect this thing with Brede is going?"

The silence resumed and played out for a long while before Kili finally replied. "I'm asking Thorin to enter into negotiations with her father in the morning," he declared.

Fili let out a low whistle. "_Marriage_ negotiations? Kili, there's something I need to tell you first..." and he recounted his earlier conversation with Thorin, explaining how he had extended an invitation to them both to accompany him on his quest to regain Erebor.

"But that's perfect, don't you see? We'll return home, rich as lords, and her father will welcome me with open arms! He won't be able to see me as just a penniless heir-in-reserve after that. I'll ask for her hand now, and we can marry when I return!" Kili exclaimed when Fili had finished.

Fili hated to ask. "But will she wait for you? Kili, we could be gone a very long time. This isn't some easy jaunt to Harlond and back."

Kili thought of Brede, folded securely in his arms, whispering to him in the dusky grove._ "Ain't nobody who can sing like you,"_ she had breathed through soft lips into his neck as he held her, the quickening, rabbit pulse of her heart beating in time to his own. Pure happiness had sounded in the low timbre of her voice as she wound slender fingers through his damp hair.

"She will," Kili whispered softly, almost to himself. "I think- I _know_- she will."

Fili leaped from his chair and laughed. He bounded across the room and pounded his self-consciously beaming brother on the back. "Then I guess it's on to adventure, riches and glory! Just imagine the wedding present I'll be able to afford! And to think, I'll be an uncle after all is through! Uncle Fili," he laughed again. "How well it sounds!"

Kili started, his alarm visible even in the low light. "Now wait just a moment, I never said -"

"Kili, it never has to be said, it's always just assumed," sighed Fili tolerantly, as if addressing a toddler. He laughed as his brother buried his face in his hands in an effort to escape the nightmare image of a feral pack of miniature Kili's terrorizing the legendary halls of Erebor. Kili's relentless energy mingled with Brede's sass... _There_ was a thought for the stout-hearted.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the sudden turn in conversation, Kili rolled from the bed and fumbled for his boots. He yawned widely. "I'm going to bed. I've got about an hour to sleep before Uncle Thorin wakes."

Fili shook his head. "Might as well sleep in. He's left by now. I don't think he intended to rest tonight, we didn't get back early enough for him to bother trying."

Kili's eyes widened and he stopped dead in the doorway. "Fili, I - I've already asked her," he whispered in a panicked voice. "In the linden grove. I promised her Thorin would call on her father tomorrow! What will she think if he doesn't?"

Fili eyed him as if judging the depth of his seriousness. "It's unconventional," he said finally, deciding that Kili was completely in earnest and that this was more important to him than anything else under the moon at the moment, quest and gold be damned, "but you could ask Mother to stand in for him. I mean, technically, since Father is no longer with us..." He shrugged.

It was a gray area, but under the circumstances, with an upcoming journey, a bit of a rush and negotiations from Dis, being a female, might be excused. It would have been frowned upon for Kili to approach Brede's father himself. Fili strongly suspected his brother had another reason for wanting to reassure Brede of his intentions so soon, but he had the sense and grace to keep quiet on the subject. His brother, although impetuous and easily led by his emotions, would still have never allowed himself to fall into a situation he had no wish to be in. Brede truly meant the world to him, Fili now knew. Kili did not enter into promises lightly, and he intended, no, _longed_, to follow this through.

Kili nodded slowly. He was wavering on his feet, he was so tired. "I don't want it to look like I'm going around Thorin's back, but..." He spread his hands imploringly, but there was no need. Fili understood, and he would make sure Thorin did as well when he returned.

"It's alright Kili. They'll all understand. To hell with what anyone else thinks, it's only Mother and Thorin and Brede that matter."

"And Brede's father," Kili added pensively. "What will he think?"

"I'm sure after the words 'piles of gold' and 'throne of Erebor' leave Mother's lips, he won't care a fig for convention either. Besides, he's not a hard man. Uncle Thorin thinks well of him, and that's saying something."

Kili was swaying alarmingly, and Fili gave him a none-too-gentle nudge toward his own room. "Go to sleep! There's nothing more to be done tonight, and you'll be useless in the morning if you don't get some rest."

Kili nodded and staggered away. Fili followed at a distance to be sure he made it to his bed. It was warm in Kili's room; the fire had taken and Kili blinked in surprise at the flames in the hearth. "Thanks," he mumbled to Fili sleepily, dodging a pile of who knew what in the center of his cluttered floor. He placed his fiddle on his desk, giving it a pat before weaving through the remainder of the obstacle course to his bed.

"No problem," said Fili. Kili climbed under his blankets, long hair hanging over the side of the bed, and tucked himself into a ball. He started out that way every night, Fili knew from years of a shared childhood bed, but ultimately would end up sprawled across the mattress, limbs flung every direction, often at ungodly angles. Although they shared many things, Fili was glad that they had graduated to their own sleeping quarters; he had had more than one black eye at the hand of Kili's deranged sleep patterns.

"G'night," Kili slurred incoherently, addressing the stone wall against which his bed stood, the same wall as Fili's. Their rooms were laid out like mirror images of one another. Light snores drifted up from the pillows almost as soon as his dark head nestled into the thick down.

Fili stood in the doorway studying his sleeping brother with a far-away, misty look in his eyes. It was an oddly poignant moment. "Goodnight, little one," he whispered to the room at large. The words seemed very final, and he realized that he would probably never say them again. Little Kili was gone. Fili felt for a moment as if he were gazing upon a stranger. He shook his head and looked again, and Kili was still only Kili, dark, wild, and familiar. He let himself out into the hallway and gently shut Kili's door.

Deep in thought, Fili wandered around the corner to his own chamber. He was suddenly very tired. He blew out a guttering candle on his work table, then dragged himself over to his bed. Tossing his clothes into an untidy pile at its foot, he climbed up and burrowed beneath the thick woolen blankets, turning his face toward the wall he shared with Kili. _He grew up so fast_, he thought, suddenly wistful.

Fili curled into a ball, knees and forehead against the cool wall. It was a long while before the comforting arms of sleep could claim him as they had so easily caught his brother, but when they did, he was lying the same as Kili, both brothers pressed like bookends to the wall that divided them. What decisions they made in the morning would start them on a long and extraordinary road, one they would travel together until they found the light at its end.

**FINISH**

* * *

**PS: Or _is_ it... You get to decide! I always intended for this to have a bittersweet tone to the ending, but for those of you who would prefer a rosier-hued, non-canon final chapter, wait a bit for the epilogue! You can leave it now, as a prequel to canon, which was how I originally saw it, and it will stand just fine, so don't go on if you're not of that mindset. I don't mind. :)**

** For those of you jumping off the wagon now, I just want to say thank you for reading a story with no real battles, anguish, torment, and without even any epic make-out scenes. Well, there was the one, but it wasn't all smoochy-kissy. Odd for a romance, right? But it was about the loyalty of the brothers as much as it was about that. Although this was truthfully one of my favorites to write, I wasn't sure how much interest would follow, so I was pleasantly surprised. Thank you again, and goodnight! Smoochy-kisses!**

**PPS: For anyone following "Of Pipes, Parasites, and Other Great Mischiefs," yes, I flubbed with a slightly younger version of the brothers knowing Gandalf then, but not now. I had already written the chapter in this story where Gandalf appears unknown with Thorin, but I needed him familiar with the boys in the other. It was a conscious flub, but still... Ignore! Maybe they forgot about him later, I dunno... :)**


	10. EPILOGUE, A Happy Ending If You Want One

**AN: ****_MY INTERNET HAS RETURNED!_**** How I've missed you, old friend... _SO_, here's an epilogue full of non-canon fluff, giddies and love! Thanks to SherlockedinErebor for the appealing suggestion.**

**I have no idea how long the whole journey to and from the mountain might have taken, so I just went with two years as a good round number. Roll with it. :) Although, if you've got the answer, feel free to tell me and I'll correct it, if I'm not busy wallowing in laziness or being distracted by other shiny stories. I'm in the throes of a Dexter obsession, too, you know...**

* * *

EPILOGUE: A Happy Ending, If You Want One

The sound of clattering hooves on the stone courtyard of Ered Luin brought Brede scrambling to the railing, as she had every time a rider appeared for the past two years. Dis stepped out into the bright afternoon sun behind the young dwarf woman and placed a gentle hand on her trembling shoulder. There was a bite to the wind that whipped their hair around their faces despite the warmth of the sun.

"Is it them?" asked Brede breathlessly. "I can't see, where are the riders?"

"Wait, my dear. If it is them, we will soon know." Dis's face was closed. Too many times the sound of an arrival on the flagstones had swelled her heart with hope, and too many times that hope had been dashed by the sight of riders who were not her boys, who were not her Thorin. She had long ago stopped rushing to the courtyard and stables to see who had arrived.

"I can't stand not knowin'." Tears stood in Brede's deep blue eyes but remained valiantly unshed. A tremulous sniffle gave her away, however, and Dis hugged her close. They had become as dear to each other as mother and daughter over the past years, united in hope, disappointment, and worry during the long wait for their absent men.

Indistinct voices shouted in excited tones below.

"It's him, oh! I know it's him this time! Kili!" Brede tore away from the balcony and bolted for the stairs, crying Kili's name in a voice flaming with hope. Each cry broke Dis's heart just a little bit more, but she did not call out to restrain her.

On light feet Brede flew down the stairs and into the courtyard, skirts held high. There were the riders, two of them. Their ponies were unfamiliar, but the sinking ache Brede felt in her heart was not. The wind whipped cruelly around her, mocking her dashed hopes. She wished bitterly for a hooded cloak like the riders wore to hide her tear-streaked face. How many times had she played out this tired scene? It had become her dark ritual. How she longed to be greeted by the familiar nickers of Brassy and Pluck, sounds that would have meant her lover had come back to her at last. A frustrated sob hitched in her throat. It burned and threatened to break free as she turned away.

From out of the wind came a husk of a voice, lost and bone weary.

"_Brede_?" the voice whispered hesitantly.

Brede froze, no longer daring to breathe. Her name, spoken by one of the riders. Incredulous, she turned. "_Kili_?"

The taller rider at the front slid down from his dark pony. "Take off your hood!" Brede cried, starting forward into a mad, stumbling run. "Kili, is it you? Oh, please, let it be true!"

Obedient to her word, the rider lowered his hood, revealing more than Brede had dared dream. _Here_ was his smile, his dark hair tangled from the mountain wind. Here were his laughing eyes, harder now, and rimmed with tears. Her Kili! She cried out joyously and flung herself forward, never fearing for an instant that her lover might fail to catch her. Kili did not disappoint. "You've come back!" she breathed as he caught her in his arms, strong and hardened from battle and the arduous journey.

Their lips met hungrily, and after all this time they were not strangers. It was a kiss at once crushing and tender. Kili poured every pent up emotion from those lost years into his kiss, mouth tearing desperately as Brede's lips moved against his own. _This_ was what he had missed all those treacherous days and cold nights. The world faded around them as they were lost in disbelieving joy. Tears ran down Brede's cheeks and trailed into her mouth. Kili dipped down and tasted their salt, his tongue soft and curious against hers. When he finally pulled back to study her face it was as if he took the air from her lungs with him.

"Stay with me," she murmured, tightening her small fists in the folds of his coat. She would not allow him move from her yet, not an inch, not for a second.

So many times he had longed for some way to bring the vision of her up before him but had only his fickle memory to rely on. Now, reunited with the reality of her blazing eyes and smile, he found that he had faithfully kept her image in his mind for thousands of miles and over two years, as if it had been etched on his heart to remember her by.

Brede pulled him forward again and Kili threw his whole being into her embrace. He buried his face in the familiar curve of her neck. The smell of her hair, still lavender blossoms, as it had been in the linden grove, sung out to him. For so long now he had harbored a deep-rooted feeling of being somehow lost and misplaced. Now, home at last and locked safely in Brede's arms, the heavy feeling detached itself and melted away. One rough hand found the small of her back and clasped her there; the other plunged into the thick tumble of hair she wore loose over her shoulders, pulling her closer. Closer, but never close enough.

Behind them, Fili lowered his hood and stiffly eased himself from his pony. Smiling, he watched the intimate reunion with tired, relieved eyes. Both brothers had returned, but they were not the same boys who had left, so cock-sure and carefree. They had returned men; Men who had seen what darkness and wonders lurked in the world and understood how fortunate they were to have been allowed to return home at all. They wore the ghosts of new-found, harsh truths etched in their features. Their faces, although weary and drawn, shone bright with shameless relief.

Brede was overcome by an almost physical need to prove Kili had truly returned. She ran disbelieving hands across shoulders that had grown broader than she remembered, and over the thick stubble on his chin before clenching them into glad fists in his hair. Their insistent pull was welcomed by Kili, for he felt as if this moment were only another in a long line of teasing dreams. He was silent, but words were unnecessary; His shoulders quaked with the depth of his emotion, and Brede cherished the very weight he entrusted to her loving arms. Suddenly her emotions bubbled over and she was laughing and crying, hopping as excitedly as a wren in his grasp.

Dis hurried down the steps into the courtyard, all laughter and tears and wide-flung arms. Fili filled them first; One motherly arm was left open and waiting and Kili tumbled, grinning, into their family circle, pulling Brede along like a thistle in a windstorm. Dis gathered them to her, eyes squeezed shut in silent thanks that her children had come back whole and unharmed. She wrenched them open suddenly, realization dawning. "Where is Thorin?" she gasped. "Where is my brother?"

Fili lifted his head from her shoulder to reassure her with his continued smile. "Seated securely on the throne of Erebor, mother. We've done it! We've won back the mountain."

Dis nodded almost dismissively. The mountain was of no concern after her years of worry; She cared only that those she loved hadn't been lost in its retrieval.

"You may have won the mountain," Brede's breath softly tickled Kili's ear, "but I have won you."

Kili smiled complacently, very much of his mother's opinion when it came to the hollowness of mountains and the richness of family. "A mountain full of gold is still empty without you. I'm here to stay, or to take you back with me."

"Of course!" Brede laughed, tightening her arms about him.

Kili shook his head, pleased to be back on familiar ground. Brede's vague replies had always kept him running mental loops. "Well, which is it, are you to come, or am I to stay?"

Her lips sought his again, as if they still required a taste to prove that he was solid and not the evasive phantom of her dreams. "I'll fill your empty mountain with you, of course."

Fili extricated himself from the family huddle and stretched, groaning as his spine crackled. Muscles tightened from long miles traveled on horseback grudgingly gave way to his new upright position. "I'll be Uncle Fili at long last. How I've waited for this moment," he teased.

Kili paled. Fili had seen his brother face battle without looking nearly as uncomfortable. "I don't think that's what Brede meant - " Kili began uncertainly.

"Oh no, that's exactly what I meant," Brede replied without the slightest hesitation. She seized Kili's hand and began tugging him determinedly after her up the steps. "You must be starving, let's feed you up. We'll make a right feast of it."

Dis dabbed at a tear and took Fili's arm in a more sedate manner. To Brede, she suggested, "Perhaps you should find your father, dear, and invite him as well. We'll all have plenty to discuss."

"Yes! I can't wait to hear it all! You must have such tales!"

Despite being lightheaded with hunger, Kili jogged to keep up with her. "Wait 'til you hear of our wee burglar, Bilbo Baggins. You'd have got on well with him. He gave Thorin a talking to on more than one occasion, surprisingly ferocious little fellow for a Hobbit. I was told they were quite peaceable folk." He rambled on excitedly. Relief at being home had loosened his tongue.

Behind him, Fili sighed. "How can he speak at such a rate when we haven't had any food for days? I'm wasting away. Mother, you'll have to take my coat in, or better yet, make a new one. This one is worn to rags." There were indeed holes worn through the leather and his fur collar was matted in many areas with what Dis uncomfortably recognized as blood. She turned away, swallowing tightly.

"We'll have you back to your usual splendor in no time," called Kili over his shoulder. Aside to Brede he muttered, "If I hear one more time about his matted hair or his threadbare coat I'll scream. He's been lamenting the loss of his comb for the last hundred miles or more. It's enough to drive anyone mad. Made me miss Dwalin as a traveling companion, and that's saying much. The bloody golden dandy shouldn't be worried about his looks anyway, his stench far outstrips his dishevelment. Have someone draw Fili a _bath_, first and foremost."

Brede fixed her future husband with a pointed stare. "Perhaps _two_ baths should be drawn," she suggested demurely.

Feigning offense, Kili gave himself an experimental sniff. "Fair point," he allowed grudgingly. He withdrew his arm from Brede's and stepped away. "I won't burden you with my egregious odor any longer."

With a squawk of alarm Brede scooted after him and tucked herself back under the comforting hollow of his arm. "No, no, y' don't smell at all, except like roses!" she reassured hastily.

Kili laughed. "Roses! Really, and what else?"

Brede listed a few other odors, none of them pleasantly scented plants. Fili chuckled. Kili rounded on him. "You smell far worse than I! Those ridiculous furs of yours have smelled like wet dog for most of the journey. For months now I've woke up beside you thinking I'd fallen asleep in a kennel!"

Fili sighed, the belabored sound of one long subjected to such abuse. He was too exhausted to bother defending against what was admittedly an accurate accusation. "Alright, our plan of attack is bath, fresh clothing, food, sleep."

Dis hurried ahead, taking charge. She enlisted help from solicitous passersby, many of whom had come to welcome the brothers home. Soon the halls were filled with Dwarves carrying baskets of food; breads, root vegetables, flagons of wine and ale, and great haunches of meat for roasting. A chain of helpers headed towards the Durin family quarters carrying great pans of steaming water. Fili followed, eager for his bath, dragging an indignant Kili.

News of the success of the quest and the brothers' return trickled through the mountain, and by the time Fili and Kili emerged, pink and fresh from their bathing, every Dwarf they had ever known had gathered in the hall for the welcome feast. Fires roared in multiple hearths, great stands of candles were lit, and food overflowed the tables. Dis waited at the head of the main table with Brede and her father seated to one side.

With mouths watering and weak from long weeks of inadequate rations, the brothers started forward. Kili stumbled as he neared the end, head suddenly spinning. Brede pushed back her chair and rushed forward to support him. He smiled gratefully as she slipped under his arm and threaded her own around his waist, not at all embarrassed to lean on her. It was a pleasure to have her near in any way.

They reached their seats and every Dwarf in the room stood. Tankards and glasses clanged as toasts rang out, to Erebor, to Thorin and the company, and to the safe return of the messengers, Fili and Kili. Exhausted, the pair sank into their chairs as the last voices sang out their "here-here's!" Someone called out for them to say a few words. The crowd fell silent with expectation.

Kili blinked blankly, his overwrought mind wiped of all thought save the feeling of Brede's small, warm hand nestled in his own. Shrugging, Fili stood and faced the room. Familiar faces stared back and he smiled. In a carrying voice he hollered clear and strong down the hall.

"Pass the mutton!"

His speech was met with roars of approving laughter. His point had been clear; There would be no speech-making or stories this evening. Tonight was for family, rest, and food. Fili seized his fork as a haunch of mutton sailed his way, and Kili fell on his plate with gusto. Hiding concern behind amused smiles, Dis and Brede looked on affectionately as their ravenous menfolk made short work of their suppers.

Once their stomachs were filled to bursting, which did not take long in their shrunken state, the brothers excused themselves from the table, tempted by the promise of waiting beds. _Real_ beds, with mattresses, filled with actual stuffing. Layers of blankets! Pillows! Walls, and a roof to keep the wind and rain from their heads! After so long a time spent lying in the open on hard ground pretending to snatch at sleep, the notion was bliss itself. The only downside for Kili was that Brede was being steered the opposite direction by her father, who's understanding smile somehow managed to convey a mixture of distrust, admonishment, and welcome, all at the same time. Kili also thought he detected a slight glint of warning in the fatherly expression. A well deserved warning, as it happened. Kili looked away guiltily.

As they reached the fork in the hall that would take them their separate ways, Brede broke from her father and darted forward, flinging herself into Kili's arms. Her abandoned father was behind, smiling tolerantly. He gave Kili an understanding nod, but remained patiently waiting for his love-struck daughter to finish her evening farewells.

Brede clung to Kili, breathing him in, savoring the clean scent of his damp hair to shore her up for another night spent apart. "I keep telling myself we've all the time in the world before us, so I won't begrudge you this night to rest up for it," she said, a devilish gleam in her eyes.

"I think I'll need more than one to rest up for _you_, love, but after that, all my nights are yours." Kili grinned, equally impish. A matched pair, thought their observers, Fili and Dis.

Brede's father cleared his throat. Reluctantly, she pulled away. Unwilling to tear her eyes away from Kili's, she walked backward before finally turning and fleeing lightly down the hall.

"Goodnight," Kili called after her retreating figure, fleet as a doe, feet hardly touching the ground in her joy. She was humming, he realized. It was a familiar song, yet one he couldn't remember ever having heard played. The tune filled his head and he hummed along, willing the tantalizing memory to come forward. His eyes widened as images flooded back. It was the song he had sung for Brede in the grove, once upon a long-lost lifetime. She had remembered note for note after all these years.

The recovered melody carried Kili off into a blissful cocoon of dreamless sleep. He fell heavily and slept unusually still. When dawn came bearing the promise of a lifetime's adventure of a different sort, Kili was ready and waiting. He met the next day of the rest of his life with a song in his heart.

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**PS: So that's that_._ _OR_... Should I treat this epilogue to an epilogue? Just how much interest is there in a pack of wild, pygmy Kili's assaulting the halls of Erebor? I'm kind of liking the thought, actually... Lemme know with, you guessed it, _REVIEWS_!**


	11. EPILOGUE, Part Deux (Mini-Kili's!)

**AN: Let the "SQUEE!-ing" commence!** **I present to you 'Mini-Kili's.'**

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Epilogue: Part Deux

Anyone unaccustomed to the sight might be excused for thinking a miniature tornado had touched down in the midst of the elaborate throne room of the reclaimed Dwarf kingdom of Erebor. The dust storm rising in funneled clouds behind the oncoming noisy swarm certainly supported the theory. However, it was not some destructive force of nature that approached, but a riotous quartet of unkempt, curly-mopped, widely grinning furies. Squeals, cries, and more than one battle hymn, sung in high, squeaky voices, warned wary bystanders and sent them scurrying for safety.

Through the dust clouds swished the skirts of a young Dwarf woman as she scurried after the patter of wee Durin feet. She paused on her way to the throne room, hearing sounds of a disturbance coming from the direction of the main entrance in the adjacent hall. The heavy doors swung open to reveal Kili and Dwalin; Kili shouldering a good sized buck, Dwalin hefting a massive boar. They chuckled jovially over some mishap which had occurred during the hunt.

"And then Bain was almost gored through!" Kili said with a laugh.

"After all that bother you'd think the fool might have got his boar, but it appears Eylia will go hungry yet again. But what can she expect, marrying such a useless lout," Dwalin commented with a grunt as he shifted his boar into a more comfortable position across his broad back.

"If he didn't thunder through the brush like an oliphant in rut he might have better luck. Honestly, Bombur has a lighter tread." Kili paused and broke into a smile as he spied his wife lingering in the hall.

"Hullo love," Brede beamed. She pecked Kili a hasty kiss as she passed, looking cheerful but frazzled.

"Are the terrors at it again?" asked Kili, noting with concern the tiredness in her face. "You should go rest. Let me get rid of this and I'll take over. Go put your feet up by the fire," he ordered.

Brede swung around and swooped in for a more thorough kiss. "Mm, that sounds like bliss," she sighed gratefully. "Firin has been at Kirin all day. They're on the outs, and you know none of us will be able to rest until they make things up."

"I'll talk to them," said Kili. Arms full of deer, he nuzzled Brede affectionately in lieu of an embrace.

"Ugh, it's dripping, off with ye!" Brede scolded, giving Kili a push just in time to avoid a spatter of slain deer. Dwalin chuckled and blinked away an almost wistful expression. Like the majority of Dwarves, Dwalin had never married. He had never felt the inclination, but sometimes... Well, sometimes, it just looked nice. On the right people, at any rate.

"Drop it there and I'll take it," he offered. "It'll give you time to get that herd of horrors in order so's they're not climbin' all over me by the time I get back."

Nodding gratefully, Kili slipped the deer from his shoulders and straightened up. Brede threaded her arm through his and leaned heavily against him as they started for the throne room. She waddled slightly. Kili loved that slow, awkward walk and everything it signified.

A torrent of laughter followed by a loud crash suggested haste was in order. They crept apprehensively to the door and peeped in. The restored King Under the Mountain was roaring, doubled over on the throne of Durin, sides heaving, fit to burst with the force of his mirth. His graying head was bare; the royal crown of Erebor had been burgled. Mother and father had obviously walked in on an ongoing coup d'etat. Mischievous peals of laughter answered King Thorin, great uncle of Kirin, Firin, Brilie, and Fris, known affectionately throughout Erebor as The Durin Herd of Horrors.

"I fought battles for that bit of frippery," Kili muttered darkly, speaking of the crown. "The devils better not have lost it."

Fris, oldest of the brood and apparent usurper and instigator of the revolt, strutted down the aisle to greet his parents, proudly displaying the stolen diadem. The crown had not fit properly and he was wearing it around his shoulders like the yoke of an ox. Brilie was hanging off the back and Fris choked out a greeting as he dragged his sister forward.

"Da-DEE!" Brilie trilled when she saw Kili. The little moppet released the diadem and Fris staggered away, almost pitching forward onto his face.

Kili hunkered down and threw his arms wide. "How is my wee lass! Are you keeping those rough and tumble boys in line?"

Brilie tripped lightly over to her father, bare feet skimming over grandly polished stone. She waved a small wooden doll in her fist. Settling complacently on Kili's knee, she declared, "Kirin tried t' broke Master Boggins, but I punched him away."

Kili eyed the new doll with a bemused expression. Bofur, toymaker extraordinaire, had once again been spoiling his little monsters while he was away. The carved figure was topped with a mop of curled sandy hair. Already the toy bore the usual scars of mistreatment and rough play that decorated most of his children's playthings.

"I'm sure Master Boggins appreciated your coming to his rescue, love, but next time try not to resort to blows," Kili gently remonstrated his fractious daughter.

"S'alright," Brilie replied nonchalantly, clacking Master Boggins's tiny wooden hobbit-hands together in applause. "Kirin punched me back, so we're squared."

Kili sighed. It was quite probable he and Fili had used the same logic in the past during one of their many childhood disputes. Wisely, he let the issue drop. He turned his attention to Fris, who was now stuck with one arm over the crown and one under.

"Fris, kindly return all sovereign contraband to its rightful owner," Kili directed the youth with a sigh.

"Wha?" Fris blinked blankly and tucked his elbow down through the golden band, a maneuver that only served to worsen his predicament. He wriggled in frustration.

"Give Great Uncle Thorin back his crown," Kili translated.

"Can't, m'stuck," Fris pointed out, shaking his head as if his father were daft for not noticing.

Brilie slipped from Kili's knee and skipped off. Thorin, still denuded of pomp and state, descended the throne and heartily embraced his nephew as Kili stood. Kili smiled as he returned the gesture, reflecting on the change time and circumstance had wrought. Not so very long ago a grunt and nod were all Kili could have expected from his uncle. Not so now; The years had been good for Thorin. There was no trace of the heavy heart he had once carried, and he bore no grudge against any creature in the world. A smile was no longer an unusual expression to find on his aging face.

"What have you brought for us to eat today, boy? Salad?" Thorin motioned for Kili to join him on a bench by the fire. Brede followed, hustling Fris along and tugging at the stuck-fast crown.

"Deer and boar. The boar was Dwalin's prize."

"Venison! A great favorite of mine. Does it have good rack? You can mount it with the other." Thorin nodded at an impressive twelve-point spread displayed proudly above the great stone mantle.* "I still can't believe you managed to drag that thing back over a half year's journey."

"I hid it in a cave, if you recall. I could never have carried it over the entire quest, but I made damn sure I had room on the return trip!" Kili grinned triumphantly. "Anyway, no prize rack on this one. Just plenty of good meat."

"The most important trait in one's food."

There was a clatter and a flourish of minor swearing. Kili turned to find Brede had extricated Fris from his royal bind with a wrenching tug, landing the troublesome lad on his bottom. Fris bolted the second he was freed.

"Y'don't think they're becomin' a trifle... spoiled?" Brede sighed as she watched Fris go. She turned the crown over in her hands. "Only, we didn't have all of this growing up."

Kili watched his aging uncle laugh. It was a sight he still found refreshing. "Fili and I would have, had Thorin had it to give," he said quietly. "I would hate to take that away from him now. I believe it's something he's always regretted being unable give us."

Brede smiled indulgently. "My husband is so wise," she teased, tucking a strand of hair behind Kili's ear. She said so not entirely in jest; Kili had become rather known over the years for his creative problem solving and strategy. He had a knack for looking beyond the apparent that Thorin and many others had come to respect.

Kili glanced around the room, searching for three missing faces. "Has Fili returned? Or have the Elves thrown him in their dungeons yet again?"

Thorin snorted. 'Enemy' was no longer a word he used for Elves, but neither was 'friend.' His distrust was deeply ingrained, and whenever an emissary between the two races was needed, Fili was the obvious choice. The heir to the throne of Erebor was able to remain civil where Thorin might not. "I expect him back today. Let's hope he doesn't arrive packed in a barrel."

Kili laughed. "But there are still two Durin's missing! Where-" He was cut off by a high, outraged squeal of incomprehensible twin-speak as Kirin suddenly exploded out from behind the high throne like a scalded cat. Immediately after him marched his twin, Firin, proudly brandishing an empty tankard. Kirin scrambled up on his father, dripping wet. Kili caught a strong scent of mead. "Mahal, how did they get into _mead_ at this time of day?"

Thorin looked sheepish. "I might have left a cup out," he admitted.

"We're lucky they've only bathed in it," Kili said irritably. "Can you imagine those twin terrors in drink? You can't leave such things about when they're around," he chided.

A flicker of irascible King Thorin surfaced. Glowering, he responded with a hint of his old acerbity. "You might keep them in a pen if you're that worried. Surely I'm entitled to indulge in a tankard of mead in my own throne room."

Kili sighed. "Aye, I suppose _everyone_ should be entitled to at least one glass with this lot running amok. Just try to keep it out of their hands. I can't imagine the havoc if it got into their heads to drink it instead of pour it on each other."

Beside him, Brede shuddered.

The door was thrown open. Kili looked up, expecting to see Dwalin returning after carting off the fruits of their hunt. Instead he was greeted by a magnificent vision of gold and furs as Fili swaggered into the room. Upon his entry Fili was treated to a rousing chorus of "UNCA FEE-WEE!" in four-part harmony shortly before being struck in the knees by a flurry of incoming missiles.

"Can't you corral them somehow, brother?" Fili sighed in mock exasperation, niece and nephews dangling from him like kittens. Brede waddled over to greet her brother-in-law with a peck on the cheek.

"If uncle Thorin couldn't manage to contain the pair of us, I hardly think it reasonable for you to expect me to be able to do so with _four_ of the little blighters ransacking the place. Aule, I'll be glad when they're old enough to play outside unattended. The mountain can't contain them," Kili grumbled, his own exasperation unfeigned.

"Won't do any good," Thorin commented, finally wresting the empty tankard from Firin's grasp. "They'll just bring whatever mischief they find back with them at the end of the day. I remember once you traipsed home naked and covered with leeches. You were bawling fit to split my skull-" **

Kili cleared his throat as Brede's head swiveled around with interest. "Yes, anyway - "

"Oh no, I want t'hear this!" Brede laughed. She flounced down heavily beside Thorin and leaned in, batting large, imploring eyes. "Please, go on!"

"Well, the two of them were up to it together, of course," Thorin rumbled jovially, glad to take up the story for his charming listener.

Kili left them to it and trailed away after his noisome brood. Deciding he could do without another telling of their childhood misadventures, Fili joined him. Other than an occasional chuckle earned by the four inexhaustible Dwarflings, the brothers ambled in companionable silence.

"And how was dear Thranduil?" Kili asked eventually. "I do hope accommodations were better than when last we had the pleasure of his hospitality."

"Aye, there was a vast improvement in victuals, as well, as we had presence of mind to bring a packhorse loaded with jerky. If Rivendell taught us anything it's that Elves will insist on pressing 'salads' on us. Beastly stuff," said Fili, shaking his head with a grimace. "Thranduil sends his most earnest diplomatic regards, along with many heartbreaking entreaties for bridge-building, fence-mending, and the burying of hatchets. He delivered so eloquent a speech on the importance of relations between our people that I almost shed a tear. Ori broke down completely and had to be helped from the room."

Kili snorted. "Easy to suggest building bridges when you haven't been forced to float under one stuffed in a barrel wearing nothing but your unders," he grumbled. "What a magnanimous fellow is Thranduil of Mirkwood." A whirling ball of noise interrupted them as it shot past. Kirin, Kili guessed, although Firin and Kirin were so alike in looks even he couldn't be sure half the time.

A wooden groan sounded as the great door to the throne room opened once more. Three more shapes breezed past to greet the latest arrival. "_DWAWIN_!" chorused Kirin, Firin, Fris and Brilie as they fell upon the giant Dwarf. Much roaring and fussing ensued.

"Down, whelps! Let a Dwarf get through the doors, at least! Kili, lad, for the love of Mahal, pry the beasts off!" Dwalin bellowed and frowned convincingly, all the while allowing himself to be dragged down with a youngster clinging to every limb. Rescue did not come from Kili, however. Uncle Fili swaggered forward with a wink.

"Speaking of beasts, I once heard tell of wild creatures called 'mong-kees,' strange creatures from the land of the mighty oliphants. I'm told they're very much like brown-furred children in appearance, with long, grasping tails. Kili, are you sure that's not what these offspring of yours truly are? You've cut off their tails, haven't you? It's a mean trick. Here, Kirin, let's have a look!"

Fili scooped up the scrambling youngster and flipped him over his knee, pretending to examine him for the stump of a tail. "Hm. Well, you've made a clean job of it, I can find no sign of any such appendage ever having sprouted." With a playful slap on the rump Fili released Kirin, squealing, back into the wild current of his siblings, who had abandoned Dwalin and were now pouring through the room, weaving in and out of furniture and between pillars like a roaring spring river around rocks and ledge.

Brilie broke from the group and approached Fili inquisitively. "What do mong-kees do, Unca Fee-Wee?"

"They climb, wee girl. They climb great trees and swing from branches high in the air."

"Like this?" Fris hurled himself from a tabletop onto Fili's unsuspecting back. Almost instantly he was joined by Kirin and Firin. Not to be outdone, Brilie clambered up her uncle's leg and reached up to envelop him in a hug that could easily have been mistaken for a headlock.

Dwalin used the moment to sneak away. He removed his boots, damp from the day-long trudge through forest and stream, and propped them before the fire. Fris made a beeline the second Dwalin turned his back. The lad had managed to climb into one with both legs and was wobbling precariously close to the fire before Kili spotted him.

"Fris!" Kili called sharply. "Get out of there, Dwalin will have your hide." He shook his head and said to Fili, "More like _my_ hide for allowing the little monster to get at his boots in the first place. I'd wager that's the same one we dug from the badger hole."

Fris tossed the boot to the hearth and clattered off to terrorize some other object. The boot toppled over and landed half-in and -out of the flames. With customary quickness, Kili darted forward and fished it out, hissing as he scorched a finger. He performed a quick examination of the boot for damage while keeping a watchful eye on Dwalin, who thankfully remained oblivious. The damp leather was steaming slightly, but free of visible burns. Kili heaved a sigh of relief and placed it carefully beside its mate.

Fili had been busy studying his brother. Kili seemed more tired than usual, but happy. Despite its many trials, fatherhood and family life obviously agreed with him. Fili suspected Kili reprimanded his 'little terrors' out of duty alone. Deep down, he thought his brother was quite proud of the amount of mischief the young ones managed. Kili could see his own unusual genius for plots and shenanigans had been passed down to a new generation.

Fili himself was content. Thorin remained hale and hardy, and Fili hoped his uncle and king would remain that way for many, many years. Fili had no real desire for the throne, although if the time came he was ready. With the experience gained under Thorin's guiding hand and Kili at his side, Fili felt he could tackle any task.

The young ones flocked to the end of the room and descended upon Brede, pawing at their mother's skirts and competing for attention. Dwalin interceded and Brede smiled gratefully. Once the herd had been driven off Fili dropped beside her to visit.

"Have you thought of any new names?" Fili asked. While acting as emissary for Mirkwood and the Elves, he had lost an entire month of this late stage of Brede's pregnancy. He was sorry he had missed it. Watching his brother's family grow filled him with great joy.

"Tholie, for a girl, and Thorli if the babe's a boy," Brede replied, stroking the huge mound of her belly. Kili sat down and laid his hand beside hers. It was promptly kicked from within. A beaming grin split his face. It wouldn't be much longer before they learned whether a Tholie or Thorli lurked inside.

"Five children... You just can't leave well enough alone," Fili chastised his brother with a shake of his head.

"It's _her_ I can't leave alone," Kili laughed, nuzzling the nape of his wife's neck.

"Kili!" Brede exclaimed, properly scandalized and blushing becomingly. She swatted him away and Kili chuckled.

Fili rolled his eyes at the pair. Five was an alarming amount of children for a Dwarf couple. Kili and Brede were looked upon somewhat fondly as mascots for the rebuilding of Erebor, or at least its re-population. It amused Fili to no end that his brother would go down in history for his legendary ability to procreate.

Kili fished out his pipe. He was preparing to pack the bowl when a look from his pregnant wife sent him hastily packing it away instead. Brilie hovered nearby, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Once her father's hands were clear she hoisted herself up onto Kili's lap, bunching a plump fist into his beard for leverage. Kili suppressed a surprised yelp.

Thorin chuckled. He laughed quite often now. "And to think, you used to worry it wouldn't come in," he said of his nephew's fine beard. "You look like the back-end of a pony."

"It's everything I dreamed it could be," Kili said, rubbing the spot on his chin Brilie had almost relieved of its hair.

"It tickles," said Brede with a pretty pout.

Brilie swung her crossed feet from Kili's knee. "Da, will you play for us? Please? Wi' Unca Fee-Wee?" She popped a round thumb into her mouth and gazed up imploringly at her father with her mother's soulful blue eyes.

Kili was powerless against such treatment. "If 'Unca Fee-Wee' isn't too tired from his journey."

Fili smiled. Kili had insisted on teaching him the fiddle, and no one had been more surprised than Fili to learn that he also had a natural aptitude for the instrument. "I'm never too tired to oblige my favorite niece with a reel."

At the promise of music Firin and Kirin popped up like a pair of inquisitive stoats. "Fetch the fiddles, lads," Kili directed them. They scampered off grinning and returned shortly, each hugging a fiddle. Fris was already dancing to some crazed tune only he could hear.

The brothers played; Kili's style was playful and soaring while Fili played more deliberately, favoring soulful melodies full of subtlety and depth. He played solid songs of the earth, while Kili coaxed from his fiddle the bright, shining notes of brilliant skies above. Misty-eyed, Brede hummed and clapped along. Pregnancy meant tears at the drop of a hat, but they were happy tears. Kili smiled and silently thanked his stars for the good fortune that had led them here. Of all the wildly winding paths their lives could have taken, he would have chosen no other. Life was as it should be, and life was good.

**FINISH**

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**PS: That really is it this time. I can't think of a better ending to give them. Happy happy joy joy. Review me, folks! Please oh please!**

*** See my story "Game"**

**** See my story "Of Pipes, Parasites, and Other Great Mischiefs"**


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